Help community as Rotorua Citizens Advice Bureau volunteer

Citizens Advice Bureau Rotorua volunteers Gill (front), Carol and Joy. Photo / Supplied

If you have a passion for helping people, being a Citizens Advice Bureau volunteer could be the perfect opportunity for you.

The Rotorua bureau – which was the busiest in the country in the last financial year - currently has 52 volunteers but is looking for more keen people to join the training course, which starts on February 21.

Rotorua bureau manager Jane Eynon-Richards says, "Working with people is one of the great strengths of the Citizens Advice Bureau and one of the joys of being a CAB volunteer.

"One of the strengths of our organisation is the ability to provide a face-to-face service or a real voice on the end of the phone by people who live in and know the local community."

Volunteering at a Citizens Advice Bureau is a great way to meet and connect with people in your community, as well as learn new skills.

"When volunteers are asked to describe what they love most about being involved with Citizens Advice Bureau, most say it's the fact that no two days are ever the same," says Jane.

"It's incredibly rewarding being a CAB volunteer.

"On any given day, we could be asked about anything – from tenancy rights, locating a local support group or having documents signed by a JP, to finding out whether a person is entitled to a benefit or an employer can require you to work on a statutory holiday.

"We work alongside our clients with the aim of empowering them to make decisions and sort out the problem they rang or visited the bureau about."

Jane says during Covid times, the Rotorua bureau has remained available to assist clients with all the issues that have arisen during life in a pandemic.

"This period has shown just how important our service is, and the volunteers who provide it are."

All CAB volunteers are fully supported with initial and ongoing learning as they come up to speed with the challenges and pleasures of being a CAB volunteer.

For the Rotorua bureau, once the training course is completed volunteers are asked to spend a minimum of two to three hours each week on a shift in the bureau.

Jane says they have a great team of well-trained volunteers.

"We've all learned lots of new skills. It's also great just to be actively involved in our community, using our knowledge and experience to help people and having a bit of a laugh together sometimes as well."

If you're interested in joining the training course and becoming a CAB volunteer or just want to know more, call in to the Rotorua Bureau at 1143 Eruera St or email for an information pack and application form to rotorua@cab.org.nz or call (07) 348 3936.

Applications for the course close on February 2.