Our community needs you: Inverness CAB’s call for further volunteers
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SOARING numbers of inquiries have prompted Inverness Citizens Advice Bureau to warn it is reaching a critical point unless new volunteers can be recruited.
Each day, an average of 25 people walk through its doors in Union Street while a similar number also phone seeking help from staff and volunteers.
The huge increase in demand follows the introduction of Universal Credit, uncertainties over Brexit, increasing volumes of debt, benefit and housing problems.
The bureau has now launched its biggest-ever recruitment drive including a 45,000-leaflet drop across the city.
Manager Alasdair Christie outlined the urgent need for new volunteers.
“It is a critical situation,” he said. “If we don’t get new volunteers trained and deployed, we will have to turn people away which is something we don’t want to do.”
Di Alexander, chairman of the Inverness, Badenoch and Strathspey Citizens Advice Bureau, said: “The bureau is operating under enormous pressure now because we simply don’t have enough human resources to respond properly to the numbers of our hard-pressed fellow citizens who are now coming through the door asking for our vitally important advice and support services,” he said.
“We have a truly wonderful band of totally committed staff and volunteers whose dedication and professionalism are beyond question but we simply can’t afford to employ any more staff and rely – and have always relied – heavily on our fantastic volunteers to deliver all the required services.”
“So, this is a plea. We need you: our community needs you.”
There are currently 16 volunteers, aged 18 to 85 and from varied backgrounds. New recruits – whether they are studying, working, retired or want a new challenge – will be given training and ongoing support.
Volunteer Jim Stevenson said since the bureau moved from its Academy Street base two years ago into Union Street, it had never been busier and was really stretched.
He volunteers two days a week between 10am and 3pm and estimates he has helped 150 clients in the past year.
“It’s really satisfying work and it feels good to be giving something back to the community,” he said.
Anyone interested should go to the office or call 01463 252294.
