Volunteering at Citizens Advice Wokingham
Volunteers are at the heart of the Citizens Advice service and we could not provide the service we do without them.
For over 40 years Citizens Advice Wokingham have helped people right across the Borough. The majority of this impact has come from our wonderful volunteers. If you have an interest in helping your community, we have roles for you.
We will be holding a number of open days at our Wokingham Office throughout 2019. If you would like to attend please register your interest for this on our Google Form at the bottom of this page.
No experience is necessary to join our team. We have a supportive, welcoming and knowledgeable team who will help you settle in to your role. We welcome people of all backgrounds and experiences, and firmly believe in promoting equality in our communities – as well as our own organisation. All volunteers are allocated a mentor, who will guide and support you – willing to answer any questions!
Our volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds, and volunteer with us for a range of reasons. Our roles are varied, challenging and rewarding and our volunteers really enjoy being able to make a valuable contribution and have a positive impact on people’s lives.
As a volunteer at Citizens Advice Wokingham you don’t need any specific qualifications or experience. You’ll need to be friendly and approachable and have a respect for views, values and cultures that are different to your own. Some roles may require you to have a basic IT skills, be a good listener, or have good written skills. We can provide you with more information about this.
By volunteering with Citizens Advice Wokingham you will:
- make a real difference to people’s lives and have a positive impact on your community
- learn about a range of issues that affect our clients including benefits and debt
- build on valuable skills such as communication and problem solving
- meet new people from a range of backgrounds and build friendships in our team
If you would like to have an informal chat about volunteering, please email volunteer@citizensadvicewokingham.org.uk with your telephone number and name.
Open days!
We hold regular open days throughout most months, to give people an insight in to our charity and a behind-the-scenes look at what we do. This is to help you make an informed decision on whether volunteer here is for you, and in what role!
If you are interested in attending, please complete our register your interest form below or email volunteer@citizensadvicewokingham.org.uk
In our spotlight
Research & Campaigns make a great difference to our communities and for local residents. It is also a role that attracts people with limited flexibility in their availability. Perhaps you work full-time or have other commitments that restrict you from volunteering one day per week.
Take a look at our blog post on research & campaigns in Wokingham: https://medium.com/citizens-advice-wokingham/the-importance-of-our-research-campaigns-7e82e2e5dcf4
There are many ways you can give your time to Citizens Advice Wokingham. We have highlighted common roles below – but do feel free to contact us if you have a unique set of skills you would like to share with a local charity.
Giving Advice & Information
Reception / Customer Services style volunteering
Assessor: (click for role description)
Assessor’s are often the first port of call for people to explain their problems. They give advice and information through face-to-face, telephone or email. The main role of an assessor is to effectively triage a clients case, unpick the situation, ask questions, help the client discovered next steps (including possibility of booking a specialist appointment)
Adviser: (click for role description)
They are experienced assessor’s who spend a longer amount of time with a client. They often help clients fill in forms, liaise with bailiffs and creditors. They see clients through pre-arranged appointments and help with more complex queries.
Receptionist: (click for role description)
Our Receptionists are the front of house for people accessing our face-to-face services. They provide an important role, informing clients about what services we provide, helping them to fill in any appropriate paperwork and assisting our advisers with handling rooms, calendars and other information resources. They enter clients on to our database and ensure details are up to date. Some volunteers stay on reception and really enjoy the role, and some begin to provide advice and information services once they have settled in to the organisation. We are flexible!
Specialist Roles
Trustees
We have a number of specialist roles that help support the work we do. If a role is not listed here that you could support us with, please get in touch.
Research & Campaigns (click for role description)
Volunteer Champion (click for role description)
Training Support (click for role description)
Fundraiser (click for role description)
Trustee: (click for role description)
Our Citizens Advice trustees are volunteers who use their skills, knowledge and experience to help guide and govern our Charity. They work with the Chief Executive and other staff to shape strategy and give us direction.
Register your interest
If you are interested in joining Citizens Advice Wokingham, please register your details on our Google form below. We will make contact with you as soon as possible and invite you to one of our open days.
Take our Volunteering Quiz!
Are you interested in volunteering with us but not sure on the right role for you? Citizens Advice have developed a fun volunteering quiz to identify a suitable role.
You can, of course, also attend one of our open days to get an insight in to our opportunities.