This week we have been celebrating Volunteers Week with our volunteers! so they wanted to share their thoughts and feelings on what led them to volunteer with Citizens Advice and why they continue to volunteer now.

Meet Nikki:

I have been volunteering for over a year and during this time I have felt the real benefits both to myself and the community of being part of the IOW Citizens Advice team.  I was completely new to this type of work, but with the training and the help of others around me, I quickly found my feet and could see how I was learning and developing my skills to help the public.  It's an incredibly rewarding moment when someone thanks you for your help and often the patience you have afforded them.  All too often in life you struggle to find a friendly face or voice that will listen, who seeks to understand and will try to provide you with practical advice to help you move forward, yet his is what I see and experience every time I volunteer.
 
I am retired however I really enjoy continuing to put my own life, professional work, and skills to good use and its great to be part of a team.  I really enjoy learning about a wide range of topics, all of which are incredibly important and valuable, sprinkle in some patience and compassion and that's what makes it all worthwhile. 

Meet Jackie:

Hello, my name is Jackie Healing and I started volunteering at the CA in Newport in May 2023

Having semi-retired and moved from Surrey to the Island, I was looking for an opportunity to work alongside people in an environment that was set up to help the community 

CA seemed like the perfect opportunity and I now volunteer in the Newport office a day a week. the work commitment is flexible which suits me as I still do some freelancing and I can adjust my hours if needed 

Currently, I am a Telephone Assessor taking the initial calls from clients,  where possible directing them to organisations that might be able to help them or if that is not an option then getting the details of their situation logged onto our database so that an advisor can call them back with specialised advice.

I've met some great people and enjoyed my time so far It has been very rewarding and I feel I have been able to make a difference for our clients, especially when they come in and meet us face to face.

I have learnt so much, especially about the benefits systems in the UK. 

In the long term, I hope to train to be an advisor and put some of my knowledge from my working life to good use. 

While it's nice not having to work full time  I do need something rewarding to help fill up my days- there is only so much dog walking I can do!