Make a difference in our community – volunteer with us!

What you could be doing when you volunteer with us

We offer a range of volunteering opportunities. Some are short-term projects and some are long-term commitments (over 12 months).

Please take a look at the range of roles we could offer you, by clicking the boxes below.

What will you do?

  • complete an introduction to Citizens Advice and training for your role
  • help with the day to day running of the Citizens Advice service
  • answer the telephone, reply to emails and post
  • order stationery
  • type up letters and read through documents checking for mistakes
  • print and scan documents using a printer
  • update spreadsheets and databases

What’s in it for you?

  • gain and build on valuable skills and experience such as communication, admin, IT skills and working in a team
  • increase your employability
  • contribute to the smooth running of the advice service which makes a real difference to peoples’ lives
  • work with a range of different people, independently and in a team.

And we’ll reimburse expenses too.

What do you need to have?

You don’t need specific qualifications or skills but you’ll need to:

  • be friendly and approachable
  • respect views, values and cultures that are different to your own
  • have good IT skills
  • be willing to learn about and follow the Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies, including confidentiality and data protection
  • be willing to undertake training in your role

How much time do you need to give?

We can be flexible about the time spent and how often you volunteer so come and talk to us.

What will you do?

  • complete an introduction to Citizens Advice and training for your role
  • work with Citizens Advice advisers to help clients with specific tasks
  • write a summary of the clients’ problems and what action you’ve taken

Some examples of what you could do:

  • complete an online or paper form with a client to help them claim a benefit
  • call a utility company with, or on behalf, of a client, to find out how much money they owe
  • discuss income and spending with a client and together draw up a personal budget
  • help a client switch their utility provider

What’s in it for you?

  • make a real difference to people’s lives
  • learn about several key issues such as benefits and debt
  • build on valuable skills such as communication and listening
  • increase your employability
  • work with a range of different people, independently and in a team.
  • have a positive impact in your community.

And we’ll reimburse expenses too.

What do you need to have?

You don’t need specific qualifications or skills but you’ll need to:

  • be friendly and approachable
  • be non-judgmental and respect views, values and cultures that are different to your own
  • have good listening skills
  • have excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • have good maths and IT skills
  • be able to understand information and explain it to others
  • be willing to learn about and follow the Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies, including confidentiality and data protection
  • be willing to undertake training in your role

How much time do you need to give?

Ideally we ask for 6 hours per week, which can be over one day or spread over two days, for at least 6 months.

We can be flexible so come and talk to us.

What will you do?

  • complete an introduction to Citizens Advice and training for your role
  • organise paper and electronic files
  • delete and shred files
  • print and scan documents using a printer
  • update spreadsheets and databases

What’s in it for you?

  • gain new skills in file management, admin and archiving
  • increase your employability
  • contribute to the running of the advice service which makes a real difference to peoples’ lives
  • work with a range of different people, independently and in a team.

And we’ll reimburse expenses too.

What do you need to have?

You don’t need specific qualifications or skills but you’ll need to:

  • respect views, values and cultures that are different to your own
  • have good organisation skills
  • be willing to learn about and follow the Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies, including confidentiality and data protection
  • be willing to undertake training in your role

How much time do you need to give?

We can be flexible about the time spent and how often you volunteer so come and talk to us.

What will you do?

  • complete an introduction to Citizens Advice and training for your role
  • talk to clients over the phone, face to face, or online to explore what problems they’ve come for help with
  • find information about the clients’ problems and help them to understand their options
  • support clients to take action to resolve their problems. This might include drafting or writing letters, making phone calls, or referring the client to another organisation
  • write a summary of the clients’ problems and what action you’ve taken
  • look out for problems’ that are common, or are unfair, and write a short report about the problem or a letter to an elected official like an MP, AM or local councillor

Some examples of what you could do:

  • help client with debts work out a reasonable amount to pay back, and make a phone call to an organisation they owe money to.
  • explore what benefits a client is entitled to and help them to complete a benefit application form.
  • help a client who has problems with their landlord to understand their housing rights.

What’s in it for you?

  • make a real difference to people’s lives
  • learn about a range of issues such as benefits, debt, employment and housing.
  • build on valuable skills such as communication, listening and problem solving, and increase your employability
  • work with a range of different people, independently and in a team.
  • have a positive impact in your community.

And we’ll reimburse expenses too.

If you’re training to be a solicitor and you train and volunteer as a local Citizens Advice adviser, you may be able to get up to six months off your solicitor training contract. See Solicitors Regulation Authority for more information.

What do you need to have?

You don’t need specific qualifications or skills but you’ll need to:

  • be friendly and approachable
  • be non-judgmental and respect views, values and cultures that are different to your own
  • have good listening skills
  • have excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • have good maths and IT skills
  • be able to understand information and explain it to others
  • be willing to learn about and follow the Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies, including confidentiality and data protection
  • be willing to undertake training in your role

How much time do you need to give?

Ideally we ask for 8 hours per week, which can be over one day or spread over two days, for at least 12 months.

We can be flexible so come and talk to us.

What will you do?

  • complete an introduction to Citizens Advice and training for your role
  • talk to clients over the phone, face to face, or online to explore what problems they’ve come for help with
  • find information about the clients’ problems and help them to understand their options
  • support clients to take action to resolve their problems. This might include drafting or writing letters, making phone calls, or referring the client to another organisation
  • write a summary of the clients’ problems and what action you’ve taken
  • look out for problems’ that are common, or are unfair, and write a short report about the problem or a letter to an elected official like an MP, AM or local councillor

Some examples of what you could do:

  • help client with debts work out a reasonable amount to pay back, and make a phone call to an organisation they owe money to.
  • explore what benefits a client is entitled to and help them to complete a benefit application form.
  • help a client who has problems with their landlord to understand their housing rights.

What’s in it for you?

  • make a real difference to people’s lives
  • learn about a range of issues such as benefits, debt, employment and housing.
  • build on valuable skills such as communication, listening and problem solving, and increase your employability
  • work with a range of different people, independently and in a team.
  • have a positive impact in your community.

And we’ll reimburse expenses too.

If you’re training to be a solicitor and you train and volunteer as a local Citizens Advice adviser, you may be able to get up to six months off your solicitor training contract. See Solicitors Regulation Authority for more information.

What do you need to have?

You don’t need specific qualifications or skills but you’ll need to:

  • be friendly and approachable
  • be non-judgmental and respect views, values and cultures that are different to your own
  • have good listening skills
  • have excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • have good maths and IT skills
  • be able to understand information and explain it to others
  • be willing to learn about and follow the Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies, including confidentiality and data protection
  • be willing to undertake training in your role

How much time do you need to give?

Ideally we ask for 8 hours per week, which can be over one day or spread over two days, for at least 12 months.

We can be flexible so come and talk to us.

What will you do?

  • complete training for your role
  • support advisers and assessors to give good quality information and advice to clients by providing an appropriate level of support and supervision to advisers and assessors. The level of support will depend on the assessor/advisers’ level of experience and competence
  • identify areas where advisers or assessors may need more training and share this information with the relevant colleagues, such as the Training Supervisor
  • work with colleagues to make sure that the case notes written by advisers and assessors about client issues and action taken, is of good quality
  • look out for problems’ that are common, or are unfair, and write a short report about the problem or a letter to an elected official like an MP, AM or local councillor.

What’s in it for you?

  • make a positive impact on someone else’s experience of volunteering with the local Citizens Advice
  • meet people and build relationships with new volunteers
  • make a real difference to the lives of clients through ensuring good quality advice
  • expand your existing knowledge
  • build on your existing communication skills including giving feedback
  • increase your employability

And we’ll reimburse expenses too.

What do you need to have?

You’ll need to be:

  • competent as an adviser and have recent experience (within the last year), with minimum of 2 years’ experience of giving advice
  • be friendly and approachable
  • be non-judgmental and respect views, values and cultures that are different to your own
  • have good listening skills and be able to understand information and explain it to others
  • able to keep calm in busy and pressured situations
  • confident and assertive
  • able to use IT and help others to use local Citizens Advice systems to find information and write client case notes
  • have excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • be willing to learn about and follow the Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies, including confidentiality and data protection
  • be willing to undertake training in your role

How much time do you need to give?

Ideally we ask for 8 hours per week, which can be over one day or spread over two days, for at least 12 months.

We can be flexible so come and talk to us.

What will you do?

  • complete an introduction to Citizens Advice and training for your role
  • talk to clients over the phone, face to face, or online to explore what problems they’ve come for help with
  • find information about the clients’ problems and help them to understand their options
  • write a summary of the clients’ problems and what action you’ve taken
  • look out for problems’ that are common, or are unfair, and write a short report about the problem or a letter to an elected official like an MP, AM or local councillor.

Some examples of what you could do:

  • find the information online that explains how to apply for Housing Benefit in a client’s local area and explain it to them
  • identify what steps a client can take to resolve their problem with a second hand car
  • help a client find and understand what steps they can take to deal with their rent arrears

What’s in it for you?

  • make a real difference to people’s lives
  • learn about a range of issues such as benefits, debt, employment and housing
  • build on valuable skills such as communication, listening and analysing
  • increase your employability
  • work with a range of different people, independently and in a team.
  • have a positive impact in your community.
  • and we’ll reimburse expenses too.

What do you need to have?

  • You don’t need specific qualifications or skills but you’ll need to:
  • be friendly and approachable
  • be non-judgmental and respect views, values and cultures that are different to your own
  • have good listening skills
  • have excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • have good maths and IT skills
  • be able to understand information and explain it to others
  • be willing to learn about and follow the Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies, including confidentiality and data protection
  • be willing to undertake training in your role

How much time do you need to give?

Ideally we ask for 6 hours per week, which can be over one day or spread over two days, for at least 6 months.

We can be flexible so come and talk to us.

What will you do?

  • complete an introduction to Citizens Advice and training for your role
  • talk to clients online using webchat, other chat services (such as facebook), and email to explore what problems they want help with
  • find information about the clients’ problems and help them to understand their options
  • write a summary of the clients’ problems and what action you’ve taken
  • look out for problems’ that are common, or are unfair, and write a short report about the problem or a letter to an elected official like an MP, AM or local councillor.

Some examples of what you could do:

  • find the information online that explains how to apply for Housing Benefit in a client’s local area and explain it to them
  • identify what steps a client can take to resolve their problem with a second hand car
  • help a client find and understand what steps they can take to deal with their rent arrears

What’s in it for you?

  • make a real difference to people’s lives
  • learn about a range of issues such as benefits, debt, employment and housing
  • build on valuable skills such as communication, digital skills and explaining complex information
  • increase your employability
  • work with a range of different people, independently and in a team.
  • have a positive impact in your community.

And we’ll reimburse expenses too.

What do you need to have?

You don’t need specific qualifications or skills but you’ll need to:

  • be friendly and approachable
  • be non-judgmental and respect views, values and cultures that are different to your own
  • have good listening/ exploration skills
  • have excellent communication skills and good spelling or willingness to use spell checker
  • have good maths and IT skills
  • be able to understand information and explain it to others
  • be willing to learn about and follow the Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies, including confidentiality and data protection
  • be willing to undertake training in your role

How much time do you need to give?

We can be flexible about the time spent and how often you volunteer so come and talk to us

What will you do?

  • complete an introduction to Citizens Advice and training for your role
  • work with Citizens Advice caseworkers who help clients with specific problems over a period of time
  • call clients to arrange appointments to get advice and explain what they’ll need to bring
  • talk to clients after the appointment to find out how Citizens Advice helped them with their problem and write a summer about this

What’s in it for you?

  • make a real difference to people’s lives
  • build on valuable skills such as communication, listening and evaluation
  • increase your employability
  • work with a range of different people, independently and in a team.
  • have a positive impact in your community.

And we’ll reimburse expenses too.

What do you need to have?

You don’t need specific qualifications or skills but you’ll need to:

  • be friendly and approachable
  • be non-judgmental and respect views, values and cultures that are different to your own
  • have good listening skills
  • have good verbal and written communication skills
  • have good IT skills
  • be willing to learn about and follow the Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies, including confidentiality and data protection
  • be willing to undertake training in your role

How much time do you need to give?

We can be flexible about the time spent and how often you volunteer so come and talk to us.

What will you do?

  • complete an introduction to Citizens Advice and training for your role
  • complete paper and online forms with clients, for example to apply for a benefit, or to complete an application for money or equipment from a charity
  • discuss a client’s income and spending with them, and together drawing up a budget
  • write a summary of the clients’ problems and what action you’ve taken
  • look out for problems’ that are common, or are unfair, and write a short report about the problem or a letter to an elected official like an MP, AM or local councillor.

Some examples of what you could do:

  • find the information online that explains how to apply for Housing Benefit in a client’s local area and explain it to them
  • identify what steps a client can take to resolve their problem with a second hand car
  • help a client find and understand what steps they can take to deal with their rent arrears

What’s in it for you?

  • make a real difference to people’s lives
  • gain in-depth knowledge about specific issues, such as benefits, and debt
  • build on valuable skills such as communication, questioning and listening, interpreting information and summarising
  • increase your employability
  • work with a range of different people, independently and in a team.
  • have a positive impact in your community

And we’ll reimburse expenses too.

What do you need to have?

You don’t need specific qualifications or skills but you’ll need to:

  • be friendly and approachable
  • be non-judgmental and respect views, values and cultures that are different to your own
  • have good listening skills
  • have excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • have good maths and IT skills
  • be able to understand information and summarise it
  • be willing to learn about and follow the Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies, including confidentiality and data protection
  • be willing to undertake training in your role

How much time do you need to give?

Ideally we ask for 6 hours per week, which can be over one day or spread over two days, for at least 6 months.

We can be flexible so come and talk to us.

What will you do?

  • complete an introduction to Citizens Advice and training for your role
  • welcome all clients and other visitors to the local Citizens Advice
  • explain to the client how long they might be waiting and what will happen and give out a form for clients to fill in
  • type up information from the client form onto a spreadsheet or database
  • answer the telephone, reply to emails and post
  • help with the day to day running of the Citizens Advice service

What’s in it for you?

  • gain and build on valuable skills and experience such as communication, IT skills and working in a team
  • increase your employability
  • contribute to the smooth running of the advice service which makes a real difference to peoples’ lives
  • work with a range of different people, independently and in a team.

And we’ll reimburse expenses too.

What do you need to have?

You don’t need specific qualifications or skills but you’ll need to:

  • be friendly and approachable
  • be non-judgmental and respect views, values and cultures that are different to your own
  • have good IT skills
  • be calm under pressure
  • be willing to learn about and follow the Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies, including confidentiality and data protection
  • be willing to undertake training in your role

How much time do you need to give?

We can be flexible about the time spent and how often you volunteer so come and talk to us.

What will you do?

  • complete an introduction to Citizens Advice and training for your role
  • talk to clients over the phone, face to face, or online to explore what problems they’ve come for help with and identify the right level of support for them
  • write a summary of the clients’ problems and what action you’ve taken
  • look out for problems’ that are common, or are unfair, and write a short report about the problem or a letter to an elected official like an MP, AM or local councillor

Some examples of what you could do:

  • find information online about applying for a benefit and show the client where they can access this for themselves
  • book an appointment for the client to see a debt adviser to discuss the money they owe to landlord and energy company
  • call the local mental health organisation to book an appointment for the client

What’s in it for you?

  • make a real difference to people’s lives by making sure that clients receive the right support for them
  • learn about a range of issues such as benefits, debt, employment and housing.
  • build on valuable skills such as communication, listening and questioning
  • increase your employability
  • work with a range of different people, independently and in a team.
  • have a positive impact in your community.

And we’ll reimburse expenses too.

If you’re a law student and you train as a Citizens Advice adviser, you can get up to six months off your solicitor training contract!

What do you need to have?

You’ll need to:

  • be competent as an adviser and have recent experience of giving advice
  • be friendly and approachable
  • be non-judgmental and respect views, values and cultures that are different to your own
  • have good listening skills
  • have excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • have good maths and IT skills
  • be able to understand information and explain it to others
  • be able to keep calm under pressure
  • be willing to learn about and follow the Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies, including confidentiality and data protection
  • be willing to undertake training in your role

How much time do you need to give?

Ideally we ask for 6 hours per week, which can be over one day or spread over two days, for at least 6 months.

We can be flexible so come and talk to us

What will you do?

  • complete an introduction to Citizens Advice and training for your role
  • talk to clients face to face, to help them find information online that can help them solve their problems
  • help clients carry out an activity online to solve their problems

Some examples of what you could do:

  • find the information online that explains how to check a client’s state pension age and help them to do this
  • find the information online about how to renew vehicle tax and help a client to do this
  • help a client find and understand steps they can take to deal with their rent arrears
  • write a summary of the clients’ problems and what action you’ve taken
  • look out for problems’ that are common, or are unfair, and write a short report about the problem or a letter to an elected official like an MP, AM or local councillor

What’s in it for you?

  • make a real difference to people’s lives
  • learn about a range of issues such as benefits, debt and housing
  • build on valuable skills such as communication, listening, supporting others to use the internet
  • increase your employability
  • work with a range of different people, independently and in a team.
  • have a positive impact in your community.

And we’ll reimburse expenses too.

What do you need to have?

You don’t need specific qualifications or skills but you’ll need to:

  • be friendly, approachable and patient
  • be non-judgmental and respect views, values and cultures that are different to your own
  • have good listening skills
  • have excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • have good maths and IT skills
  • be able to understand information and explain it to others
  • be willing to learn about and follow the Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies, including confidentiality and data protection
  • be willing to undertake training in your role

How much time do you need to give?

Ideally we ask for 4 hours per week, which can be over one day or spread over two days, for at least 3 months.

We can be flexible so come and talk to us

What will you do?

  • complete an introduction to Citizens Advice and training for your role
  • identify common, or unfair, problems that clients come for help about
  • help volunteers and staff in the local Citizens Advice understand the cause of the problem, how it affects clients, and what change would solve the problem (by talking to them, or writing a summary)
  • help to organise a campaign with the aim of raising awareness of the problem. This might involve creating materials, such as newsletters, or presentations, or writing something for social media or newspaper, which could be used to explain the problems to others (such as local councillors, or members of the public)
  • help to organise a campaign with the aim of getting the organisation (person or elected body such as MP, AM or local councillor) that is causing the problem, to change the way they do things. This could mean meeting with the organisation, person or elected body, writing to them or holding an event
  • help national Citizens Advice carry out research about how certain issues affect clients in your local area. This might involve doing a survey with clients to find out how a change in a benefit is affecting them

What’s in it for you?

  • make a real difference to people’s lives
  • learn about a range of areas such as benefits, debt and housing, and how problems in these areas can affect clients
  • build on valuable skills such as communication, research, campaigns, how to engage with a range of audiences and working with clients
  • increase your employability
  • have a positive impact in your community and on broader society

And we’ll reimburse expenses too.

What do you need to have?

You don’t need specific qualifications or skills but you’ll need to:

  • be friendly and approachable
  • be non-judgmental and respect views, values and cultures that are different to your own
  • have excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • be able to understand complex information and explain it (verbally and writing) so that others understand it
  • have good IT skills
  • be willing to learn about and follow the Citizens Advice aims, principles and policies, including confidentiality and data protection
  • be willing to undertake training in your role

How much time do you need to give?

We can be flexible about the time spent and how often you volunteer so come and talk to us.

Volunteer with us