Skip navigation | Skip to footer
 

Citizens Advice champions best volunteers

26 September 2007

Volunteer of the year awards 2007

Volunteer of the year 2007 award winners

Trustee Gillian Dawson, Campaigner award winner Gemma Popejoy Lancaster CAB, Lifetime achievement award winner Patricia West Lincoln CAB, Young volunteer award winner Rebecca Martin East Staffs CAB, Trustee Gordon Pankhurst, Bureau support award winner Sheila Thomson Shirley CAB, Barbara Sykes and Margaret Ramage volunteer team award winners Eastleigh CAB, Adviser award winner Howard Batley Bath and district CAB, Margaret Bamford and Jean Valentine, trustee board award winners Worthing CAB.

An ex-army nurse and a law student who invented a game to help people understand how to budget money are amongst a group of volunteers who have received national recognition for their work in the Citizens Advice Volunteer of the Year Awards 2007.

Patricia West, an ex-army nurse and Rebecca Martin, a law student, were chosen by a panel of independent judges** and were three winners out of seven categories. Their award was presented by trustees Gillian Dawson and Gordon Pankhurst in front of 900 delegates at the charity’s annual conference in York this week.

The Citizens Advice Volunteer of the Year Awards 2007 category winners were:

Adviser: Howard Bately, Bath and District CAB

Bureau Support: Sheila Thomson, Shirley CAB

Lifetime Achievement: Patricia West, Lincoln CAB

Campaigner: Gemma Popejoy, Lancaster CAB

Volunteer Team of the Year: Rose Morton, Eastleigh CAB

Trustee Board:  Worthing CAB

Young Volunteer: Rebecca Martin, East Staffordshire CAB

Citizens Advice Chief Executive David Harker said:

“All our volunteers are amazing individuals who give up their time to make a contribution to the local community. But those who have picked up these awards have shown an extra special commitment.  The Volunteer of the Year Awards gives the whole Citizens Advice service a chance to celebrate their success.”

More than 20,000 of the 26,000 people who work for the Citizens Advice service are trained volunteers making it one of the largest voluntary organisations in the UK. Their efforts are worth an estimated £73million to the charity each year.

Volunteers come from all backgrounds, including working mothers, long term unemployed and retired people and work in a variety of roles across the service like trained generalist advisors, admin support and trustees.

Bureaux are always on the lookout for new volunteer recruits and anyone interested can contact the Citizens Advice Volunteer hotline on 08451 264264.

** The winners of the Citizens Advice Volunteer of the Year 2007 awards were chosen by a panel of independent judges.
These were:

Hilary Watkins – Citizens Advice Chair

Mark Restall - Volunteering England

John Ellis – Barnados

Sharon Tynan – Timebank

Giuseppina Colamarco – Youthnet

Joanna Theodoulou – v20

For media inquiries and images, contact Citizens Advice press office.

Notes to editors

  1. The Citizens Advice service comprises a network of local bureaux, all of which are independent charities, and national charity Citizens Advice. Together we help people resolve their money, legal and other problems by providing information and advice and by influencing policymakers. For more information in England and Wales see www.citizensadvice.org.uk
  2. The advice provided by the Citizens Advice service is free, independent, confidential, and impartial, and available to everyone regardless of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, age or nationality. For online advice and information see New windowwww.adviceguide.org.uk
  3. Citizens Advice Bureaux in England and Wales advised 2.1 million clients on 7.1 million problems from April 2010 to March 2011. For full 2010/2011 service statistics see: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/press_statistics
  4. Out of 22 national charities, the Citizens Advice service is ranked by the general public as being the most helpful, approachable, professional, informative, effective / cost effective, reputable and accountable. (nfpSynergy’s Brand Attributes survey, May 2010).
  5. Most Citizens Advice service staff are trained volunteers, working at around 3,300 service outlets across England and Wales.