We are looking for volunteers to do research and campaigning to make a real difference to the lives of people in our community.
People come to Citizens Advice Mid Suffolk with all sorts of problems. Sometimes as our Advisors are trying to help the client to resolve the problem they will notice something that could be changed to make life better for our clients. Maybe it took over an hour to get through to a government agency, or the client has been charged an unfair fee for by a letting agent that they still have to pay. In this situation the Advisor will complete an evidence form explaining what they think should change.
A Research and Campaigning Volunteer uses this evidence to lobby for change. The role includes:
- Looking through the evidence forms for trends and identifying key issues
- Attending the meetings of the Cluster Group with people in a Research and Campaigning role from other local Citizens Advices’ in Suffolk to discuss ideas and agree joint actions.
- Contacting MPs or Councillors about individual cases to engage them in change
- Monitoring the data about referrals to the local food bank, creating reports and identifying patterns.
- Suggesting how things could be done differently
- Working closely with other members of the team to ensure that evidence is collected and used to the greatest effect
Sadly after three years of great work Chrissie, our current Research and Campaigning volunteer, is moving away from the area. Chrissie said, “while I was at University I started to volunteer on Reception and do my Advisor training. I was encouraged to consider Research and Campaigning. I went on the training course for Research and Campaigning, and it became my main role. I’ve really enjoyed working in a supportive and friendly team at Citizens Advice Mid Suffolk and with the Research & Campaigning Cluster Group in Suffolk. The best thing about Research and Campaigning is making and difference in the lives of clients. It was really rewarding to see the local MP take action as a result of the evidence that we sent her. As I got more experienced in the research and campaigning work I was able to put my own stamp on things. I would tell anyone considering the role that they will learn a lot, make a real difference and have fun.”
If you are interested in this or any volunteer role please email contact us.
