Of our volunteers: 59 per cent are in advice roles 25 per cent are trustees 12 per cent are administrators 4 per cent volunteer in other roles
(including social policy campaigners, IT support and fundraisers).
| The Citizens Advice service would not be able to continue without the support of nearly 21,000 volunteers who provide a vital service in local communities. Volunteering for a Citizens Advice Bureau is a rewarding experience on several levels. The skills volunteers bring to the service are crucial to our work, and we provide a flexible training programme that gives people the confidence to both build upon, and develop new skills. In 2003/04, 1,318 volunteers completed our training programme to become advisers. One third of the volunteers who left us did so to take up paid employment or education. We feel encouraged by the knowledge that we are helping the community by sending trained and skilled people into the local workforce. We benefit from the skills offered by people of all ages and backgrounds. Volunteering for a CAB has proven to be a good gap year experience for a 23 year old student, a way of returning to the workforce for a 34 year old mother, and for many trustees, a way of using their skills in an alternative environment. We want to develop and encourage diversity within the service. Many of our volunteers are from minority ethnic communities, which provides a vital link with the needs of the local community and helps us to tailor our services accordingly. If you are able to talk to someone who understands your cultural background, it is easier to talk and it is easier for us to help you. This means we can reach more people, and more people can benefit from our services. On the following pages we show how one of our volunteer advisers can really help make the difference to someone’s life... 
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