Volunteer roles at local Citizens Advice
We have a fantastic range of rewarding volunteer roles at Citizens Advice, which can vary between local Citizens Advice offices. With so many different types of volunteering roles available, we hope you’ll find a role that suits you.
The main areas you can expect to volunteer in are:
giving information, advice and client support
admin and customer service
fundraising
media
research and campaigns
volunteer recruitment and support
trustee
You can take our short quiz to find out which area of volunteering you might be interested in.
You can find volunteering opportunities in your local area.
Deciding which volunteer role suits you
Before you apply to volunteer you might find it helpful to think about what you want to achieve from your time volunteering with us. Perhaps you would like to learn new skills, gain experience in the workplace or develop your knowledge in a specific area. You might want to meet new people or be driven to make a difference.
When you apply you can discuss with your local Citizens Advice what you hope to gain from volunteering, your interests and skills and the time you have available, and they’ll explore which roles might be suitable.
Support for volunteers
Although our volunteer roles provide an opportunity for you to share your knowledge and existing skills, you don’t need to have specific experience or any qualifications for your role. You’ll receive an introduction to the service and all the training you’ll need for your role, as well as support and supervision throughout your time volunteering with us.
You can read more about support for volunteers at Citizens Advice.
Time commitments
There’s no minimum time requirement to volunteer with local Citizens Advice, with this varying depending on the role, and the local Citizens Advice office you want to volunteer with. When you apply, your local office will discuss the time commitment they’re looking for, for their range of roles, and explore which roles might be suitable.
Many roles that involve giving information, support and advice to clients take place Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm although some local Citizens Advice run weekends and evening sessions. Other roles are likely to be more flexible - for example, research, campaigns, media, and fundraising. Trustee roles are often suitable if you’re only free in the evenings.
If you want to volunteer from home
Some offices offer a range of remote volunteering opportunities and there are a range of roles that can be done either partly or completely from home. Some offices might also be able to facilitate volunteers providing telephone, email or chat advice from home.
Your local Citizens Advice office will be happy to discuss the options with you when you apply.
If you’re a student
Many students find local Citizens Advice volunteering provides them with valuable work skills for the future. For some students, it might also be directly relevant to their course - for example, law, social work and social policy.
Mature students also volunteer with Citizens Advice and all students can benefit from developing and learning new skills and gain work experience in a range of areas like advice, administration, marketing, media and IT. Volunteering while studying also provides positive benefits to support wellbeing.
Speak to your local Citizens Advice to find out what volunteering opportunities they offer that you might be interested in.
If you started training to be a solicitor before 1 September 2021, you might be able to get up to 6 months reduction in your training contract by volunteering at Citizens Advice.
If you started training to be a solicitor after 1st September 2021, you might be able to include time spent volunteering (or working) in advice-giving roles as part of (or all of) your qualifying work experience.
You can find out more on the Solicitors Regulation Authority website.
Applying for local Citizens Advice volunteering opportunities
If you’re interested in volunteering for local Citizens Advice you’ll need to:
check what opportunities are available in your area and complete a basic form with your contact details
speak to your local Citizens Advice - they’ll contact you with the next steps - this usually includes a short application form and an informal interview
Becoming a local Citizens Advice trustee
As a trustee, you’ll have the chance to help lead an organisation that’s making a real difference to clients and local communities.
Each local Citizens Advice is a registered charity with its own board of trustees who are responsible for deciding how the local Citizens Advice is run. This includes deciding how resources are used, making sure the charity is fulfilling its purpose and having all the relevant policies and procedures in place.
You can find out more about the 6 main duties of a trustee on the Charity Commission website.
Being a trustee is an important role in the local Citizens Advice. Many trustees find it rewarding to give back to the community, put their existing skills to use and an opportunity to learn new things from others.
As a trustee, you’ll get an induction to the service and the role so you know what’s expected and how to carry out your role. Many trustees find volunteering in this role with Citizens Advice a great opportunity to gain experience in strategy and leadership.
Skills and experience for trustee roles
You don’t need specific qualifications or experience to be a trustee. Local Citizens Advice trustee boards welcome people of all ages, backgrounds and experience who are passionate about the Citizens Advice service. Your experience might include employment, volunteering or your own experiences outside of this. As a trustee, you’ll need to have good judgment and be able to work in a team.
Time commitment for trustee roles
Most trustee boards meet in the evenings and some meet a mixture of in-person and remotely. On average local Citizens Advice trustees volunteer for around 8 hours every month. This flexibility means the trustee role is accessible to people, particularly those with responsibilities during the day, like caring, full-time employment or studying.
Outside of meetings, trustees may give additional support, like working with members of staff on important projects - for example, budgeting, recruitment or communications.
Becoming a trustee
Complete our online enquiry form
Speak to your local Citizens Advice - they’ll contact you with the next steps, this usually includes a short application form and an interview
Start your induction into the service and begin your new role as a trustee