Volunteering
A local charity helping people of all ages and backgrounds with the support of our amazing volunteers.
Become a Volunteer
Volunteers are a vital part of who we are, why we are here and how we make a difference every day to hundreds of residents across West Sussex, with volunteers based in Crawley, Horsham, Haywards Heath, East Grinstead, Burgess Hill, Worthing, Shoreham, Lancing and more.
Without volunteers we cannot be there for our users, we have a range of roles to suit your skills, time and interests. Our volunteers come from varied backgrounds, experience and ages but all are special.
We provide training, support and dedicated supervisor, access to learning resources and travel expenses are paid.
If you are interested you can apply in just 3 simple steps:
1) Have a read of our roles below and let us know you are interested by filling in an application, popping into one of our offices or email at volunteer@westsussexcab.org.uk
2) Speak to one of our team about what you are interested in and see if we are a match.
3) Start your role with your new supervisor.
Join us in making a change now and join our team in West Sussex!
Current Volunteering Roles
Benefits Form Filler Volunteer
As a Benefits Form Filler, you will be providing essential support to residents who need help to receive the financial help they need. After appropriate training, you will help residents to complete disability and sickness applications, grants and travel support.
Fundraising Volunteer
Join our team to help us fundraise to make sure we can continue to provide free, accessible advice for the residents of West Sussex
Debt Case Support Volunteer
As a Debt Case Support volunteer you will work alongside Supervisors and debt specialists to help clients move forward with their debts. You will help the client to gather information needed, complete debt assessments so the client can know their options and liaise between parties to get a successful debt solution.
Volunteer Receptionist/Meet and Greet
Supporting the Advice Supervisor, giving a warm and friendly greet to visitors to our services, identify what help is needed, direct people to information and self-help resources, book appointments and take enquiries.
Casework Support Volunteer
Supporting our casework projects, working with more vulnerable residents and complex issues such as debt and welfare benefits. Our volunteers will follow up on appointments, undertake debt assessments and collate budgets, help collate casework papers and contact third parties so cases are moving forward, support with letters and collating client feedback.
Volunteer Adviser
We are looking for volunteers to help provide our service to your local community. Do you have spare time to offer your client service skills to advise our clients who contact us for help and advice? Our Advisers assist clients in getting the right help for the problems they face. They assess people’s issues and identify the most appropriate course of action.
Research and Campaigns Volunteer
Be a member of the Research and Campaigns team gathering insight on the issues affecting our residents and finding solutions to address the root cause.
Volunteer Learning and Development assistant
We are looking for volunteers to help provide our service in your local community. Do you have spare time to offer your skills to support our Learning and Development team with your skills?
Hear from our Volunteers
- Clare B – “I volunteer at Crawley Citizens Advice because I believe it makes a real difference to people’s lives. All the people that work and volunteer here are amazing; so friendly and supportive. The work is diverse and challenging but enormously rewarding. It gives me a lot of satisfaction to know that I’m doing something worthwhile for the local community.”
- Helen – “I volunteer in the communications team once a week in Shoreham. We try to make sure that everyone who needs CAWS’ support knows that we’re there for them – and to encourage more people to become volunteers! It feels great to be a small part of such a fantastic and friendly team. I’m full of admiration for our advisors’ knowledge and their dedication to helping people who are facing problems. Why not join us!”
Volunteering for students
Are you ready to unlock your potential and be a part of something bigger?
Be a part of the Citizens Advice team and kick off a rewarding journey of personal growth, skill development, and community impact. Let’s team up and create positive change in the lives of those who need it most.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can volunteer at Citizens Advice?
Anyone can volunteer above the age of 16 years old. We welcome people from all backgrounds.
Whoever you are, we would love you to join us.
Are there certain skills I need to be a Citizens Advice volunteer?
Citizens Advice in West Sussex is a learning environment and comprehensive, free training is given to all volunteers.
For all roles, you just need to be non-judgemental, able to listen, and keen to learn.
Let us know if you already have specialist skills or experience and we can see how they could best be applied within our service.
What support will I get as a volunteer?
Volunteers are fully supported and supervised throughout their time at Citizens Advice in West Sussex. When you join, you will get more details on who is supporting you day-to-day and with any training you may be doing.
We will work with you to help ensure that you find volunteering with us rewarding and enjoyable.
How do volunteers support our Service?
We are a volunteer-led charity and we could not support the community without them.
Our volunteers are excellent ambassadors for our core values. They also build relationships in the community and expand our service delivery.
What should I think about when applying?
This is an opportunity to find the best match for you, so give clear and honest examples of what you are looking for and what your strengths are. Give good examples of what you’ve done in the past or how you might approach something is much better than simply saying you can do something.
Can I volunteer if I claim benefits?
Many people start volunteering when they are unemployed so they can learn new skills and gain experience.
In most cases, there is no limit as long as the only money you get from volunteering is to cover expenses like travel costs and you continue to meet the conditions of the benefit you get.