Stratford Citizens Advice Bureau now operating from Stratford Community House

Chrissy Darth is one of the Stratford Citizens Advice Bureau volunteers. Photo/ Alyssa Smith

Stratford's Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) has changed venues.

The volunteers are now operating out of Stratford's Community House two days a week and volunteer Chrissy Darth says they're ready to help the public with their queries.

"We get a whole lot of questions from employment, rentals, immigration, family, personal, health, wellbeing and everything in between. We assist people with a range of topics and guide them through by assisting with information."

Stratford CAB moved to Stratford Community House over a month ago, she says.

"Our previous building was deemed unsafe. Community House had a space for us. We're very happy with where we are as the service we provide fits in with Community House."

Chrissy started volunteering for CAB 12 months ago and says she's passionate about helping people.

"My husband saw an advert in the Stratford Press that said CAB needed more volunteers. I thought it was something I could help with so I went in and saw the volunteers and got started on the training process."

Volunteers receive training and are supported through the whole process, she says.

"When you first start you are always with someone so you can learn and watch. While basic computer skills are a bonus, they're not needed as our programmes are very easy to operate and you're observing the other volunteers using the site."

The volunteers are given training modules to complete.

"There are so many modules on all sorts of topics. There's a wealth of knowledge for the volunteers."

At the moment, Stratford CAB operates from Stratford Community House on Mondays and Fridays due to a lack of volunteers, she says.

"We only have five volunteers. We're in desperate need of volunteers. It's great for people who have retired and want something to fill in their days. It's so rewarding as you're providing a service for the community and helping people to get answers to the questions they have."

The Details:
What: Stratford Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB).
Where: Stratford Community House, 52 Juliet St.
Opening hours: Mondays and Fridays 10am-2pm.