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 the role that best 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
Take our short quiz to find out which area of volunteering you might be interested in 
.
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 want 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.
It can also be useful to consider the roles that are likely to fulfil your expectations. When you apply you can discuss with your local office 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.
Read about the experiences of some of our 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.
Read more about support for volunteers at Citizens Advice.
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. Think about the amount of time that you can spare and how regularly. 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, such as research, campaigns, media, and fundraising. Trustees roles are often suitable if you’re only free in the evenings.
Find volunteering opportunities in your local area.
Take our short quiz to find out which area of volunteering you might be interested in .
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 webchat 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, and 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 such as advice, administration, marketing and media and IT. Volunteering whilst 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 1st September 2021, you might be able to get up to six 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. Read more information 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 next steps, this usually includes a short application form and an informal interview
- Start volunteering!
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, including deciding how resources are used, making sure the charity is fulfilling its purpose and has all the relevant policies and procedures in place.
Read about the 6 main duties of a trustee on the Charity Commission website .
Being a trustee is a hugely important role in the local Citizens Advice and many trustees find it really rewarding being able to give back to the community, as well as a great way of putting existing skills to use and a fantastic opportunity to learn new things from others.
As a trustee, you’ll receive an induction to the service and the role so that 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 of 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 personal 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, such as caring, or full-time employment or studying.
Outside of meetings, trustees may give additional support, such as working with members of staff on key projects (such as budgeting, recruitment or communications).
Becoming a trustee
- Search for trustee opportunities available in your area
- Fill in our online enquiry form
- Speak to your local Citizens Advice - they’ll contact you with 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!