Citizens Advice Plymouth has continued giving advice to those in need throughout the coronavirus pandemic thanks to the tireless dedication of its staff and volunteers.
The team quickly rallied to ensure as many people as possible could be helped over the phone or webchat.
As part of Volunteers’ Week, at the beginning of June, Citizens Advice Plymouth recorded their thanks to the 50 volunteers for their contribution of over 100 hours a week not only during this exceptional time, but throughout the year.
In the last year, Citizens Advice Plymouth has helped 25,796 people with 209,815 of problems, such as debt, housing, benefit and employment issues.
Anna North, equality diversity and inclusion outreach volunteer of Citizens Advice Plymouth said:
“I applied for my volunteering role after losing my job during the pandemic in the hope that I would be able to build new skills and confidence with which to re-enter the jobs market. As an Equalities worker with Citizens Advice Plymouth, I have not only been supported, trained, and empowered to take ownership of my work, but have also had light shed on a completely new potential career path.
“Thanks to the flexibility and understanding of my line managers, my remote volunteering has been able to continue alongside other paid employment. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend volunteering with Citizens Advice to anyone looking for a way to learn and develop while having a real positive impact on their community.”
Emma Handley, chief executive at Citizens Advice Plymouth said:
“Throughout the year our wonderful volunteers contribute their time and energy to make a huge difference to people’s lives and help keep our vital service running.
“Whether they have been able to continue in their role recently, or have paused their volunteering, their support throughout the year has been truly invaluable.
“I cannot thank them enough for their continued dedication. We really couldn’t do it without them.”
The volunteering is also accredited by the United Kingdom Volunteering Forum, we were awarded the Investing in Volunteers quality mark for the volunteer programme from July 2020-2023.
Volunteer development officer, John Naismith, said:
“A lot of work went into ensuring that we continued to meet the high standards required to achieve the Investing in Volunteers status. As we look to grow our volunteer workforce, this recognition that Citizens Advice Plymouth is a great place to volunteer really helps us.
Volunteers Week was a great time to express our gratitude to our amazing volunteers and reflect on the massive impact their generosity has on those that live, work and study in Plymouth.”
Anyone interested in finding out more about volunteering with Citizens Advice Plymouth should contact John Naismith, Volunteer Development Officer. For more information about the types of roles available visit the Citizens Advice Plymouth website.
