Impact of how we work

The Citizens Advice network creates benefit to society through the way we deliver our services. This is in addition to the impact of our advice and education provision on clients’ lives, and covers the value of working with volunteers, our support for local communities, and how we benefit society.

Social value of volunteers

Our continual training and investment in our volunteers enables them to make a huge contribution to the Citizens Advice network. They are vital, allowing us to reach many more people that if we were purely staff-run. In turn, volunteers benefit from gaining new skills and personal development, better wellbeing and community engagement. These positive effects on individual’s lives have additional value for society, through the advantages and savings associated with happier, healthier and more productive members of the community.

9 in 10 volunteers gain more than one practical skill through volunteering. 4 in 5 believe it had a positive effect on their physical or mental health.

Read more about the results of our research we undertook with 1,500 local Citizens Advice volunteers and the impact we have on their lives and communities in our report, The value of volunteering (2.13 MB).

Find out more about volunteering with us.

Social value to local communities

Each local Citizens Advice plays an integral role within its local community. Our extensive and trusted insight enables us to understand, respond and adapt to local needs. We also share this information and initiate action, working with others to develop the partnerships and services that will make communities stronger. We are a local service, working with the local people, for the benefit of the community.

Social value of our national network

Together, we are greater than the sum of our parts. Each local Citizens Advice benefits from being part of a national brand that the public know and trust. Our local Citizens Advice support each other, sharing knowledge of challenges and good practice, so we can best use our resources to support our clients. It is also this network that enables us to come together to do more, be it to campaign on big issues, inform national policy or connect people with society.