Volunteer
Volunteering can be hugely rewarding!
If you want to make your CV better and learn new skills for life and work, or if you just want to help people in your community, why not volunteer with us?
We have lots of different jobs that match your skills and interests, and we welcome volunteers from all kinds of backgrounds.
Most people who volunteered while they were looking for a job say it helped them get one or go back to college. For older people, it's a great way to stay busy and in touch with people. And for those just starting their careers, the skills you learn can be useful at work.
Volunteer
Some FAQs
Who volunteers for Citizens Advice Oxfordshire?
You don’t need any special qualifications or experience to volunteer with us. We welcome everyone, no matter where you’re from or what you’ve done before. We’ll give you all the training and support you need to do your volunteer job well.
How many hours a week?
On average, volunteers spend about 10 hours a week with us, and we ask that you commit to volunteering for 1 year after finishing the initial advice assistant training (though it's shorter for some other roles).
What skills do I need?
Having some basic computer skills, good English, and good listening skills is helpful, but we’ll provide full training for everything else you need to know.
What support will I get?
No matter what your role is, you’ll have full support from our paid staff. We offer regular online meetings, updates, and training opportunities. There are also in-person social events where you can meet and connect with staff and other volunteers.
Is the work only face to face?
Since the Covid-19 pandemic began, we now offer advice not only in person at a number of centres across Oxfordshire but also over the phone and through email.
Are there volunteer roles other than Advisers or Advice Assistant?
There are lots of opportunities for volunteers who want to help with different tasks like IT, HR, admin, communications, and research or campaigns. The time commitment for these roles can be more flexible, and we’ll give you training that’s specific to the role you choose.
When can I start training?
Most volunteers begin as Advice Assistants and go through an initial training program. This includes weekly in-person group training sessions with other Advice Assistants, along with some online self-learning modules in between. After getting some experience as an Advice Assistant, volunteers can choose to do more training to become an Adviser.
Hear from Kiarash, one of our team who balances volunteering with study.
Hear from Martyn on what motivates him to volunteer with us after a career in financial services.