Member Article

Volunteers donate more than £400,000-worth of time

Volunteers at Citizens Advice Darlington donated £408,930 worth of their time in the year up to March 2016.

Neeraj Sharma, chief executive of Citizens Advice Darlington, is using Volunteers Week (June 1 to 12) to thank the 81 volunteers who gave their time at the Darlington-based charity over the past 12 months.

Citizens Advice volunteers support people face-to-face and over the phone and over the last 12 months they helped local people with more than 20,000 issues, by:

Dealing with debt, designing payment plans and negotiating with lenders;

Improving people’s financial skills, for example by finding ways to cut fuel bills; Standing up for people’s rights at work if they believe they have been bullied or unfairly dismissed; Helping people claim their entitlements like sick pay and maternity pay;

Volunteers also give their time in areas such as IT, fundraising and administration.

Paul Manyweathers joined Citizens Advice Darlington as a volunteer at the end of last year and has never looked back. A retired telecoms business-owner, Mr Manyweathers, 59, said he has loved every minute of his new role as a Gateway adviser.

He said: “I love dealing with the public and helping them and you get to meet people from all walks of life and with a different problems every day and that’s what I love about it. It’s a very grounding role.

“I had never had to think about benefits and admit that I have been in a more fortunate position during my life than many people, so it is great to give back, to help. It is a really fulfilling job. I look forward to coming into the bureau and I love the fact that I am still learning every day and am helping people who are genuinely in need. It also keeps the grey matter working.”

Gateway assessors help clients get the right help in the fastest time possible. They assess people’s needs, either face-to-face or over the phone, and identify the most appropriate course of action. That might be self-help information, referral to a specialist organisation or an appointment with a CAB general adviser.

Mr Sharma is encouraging local people in Darlington to get in touch about volunteering opportunities.

Mr Sharma said: “Citizens Advice volunteers change lives. It is thanks to the generosity of our volunteers that Citizens Advice Darlington is able to help people take control of their finances, claim entitlements like sick pay and protect their rights at work. There are many opportunities to volunteer at Citizens Advice and new volunteers are always welcome.”

Mr Manyweathers said: “It is really satisfying being able to help people solve their problems and see that a weight has been lifted off their mind. Being a volunteer at Citizens Advice has also given me an opportunity to learn so many new things and work with great people.

“I would recommend it to anyone who is thinking about volunteering at Citizens Advice Darlington.”

Twenty one thousand volunteers gave up their time across the Citizens Advice network last year. The national charity estimates its volunteers donate more than £100m worth of time each year across England and Wales. By working out how much it would cost for paid employees to do their work Citizens Advice is able to estimate the value of hours donated by volunteers.

People interested in volunteering at Citizens Advice Darlington get in touch on 01325 256999 or visit www.darlingtoncab.co.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Citizens Advice Darlington .