Employee and community volunteers team together to help local charity

A unique team of volunteers came together on Friday 7 February 2014 to give a special day’s group volunteering, saving a local charity over £1,000

Article Source: Voluntary Action North Lanarkshire
Last Updated: 11 February 2014 19:20

Coatbridge Citizens Advice Bureau has for the past 30 years provided free, impartial and confidential advice and representation for members of the public in a range of issues, most notably welfare benefits, debt, consumer advice, legal matters, and disputes with employers. The service is supported on a weekly basis by committed volunteers who give their time to assist many vulnerable local citizens who contact the Bureau.

For some time, the public waiting area and interview rooms where volunteers meet clients in the Bureau’s Fountain Business Centre premises have needed a fresh lick of paint. However, the lack of time available to the ever-busy team and the prospect of forking out a four-figure sum from the charity’s tight financial budget to hire painters have limited the organisation’s opportunity to get the decorating done.

That was until the Bureau, assisted by Voluntary Action North Lanarkshire and three corporate companies, set about compiling a team of volunteers willing to get their hands dirty to blitz the painting and decorating in one action packed and fun day.

The team of handy people was made up of two employees of the Department for Work and Pensions, two staff members from SSE Renewables, one employee of Warburton’s Bellshill, and a further three willing members of the Coatbridge community. Each of the companies promote employer supported volunteering, where they allow staff members allocated time off to give something back to the community.

At 8am on the day of the challenge, most of the eight volunteers had never met one another. By 4pm, they had organised themselves as a team, worked hard, had a laugh, and completed all the painting that was required, refreshing the look of the Bureau for volunteers and clients alike. Norma MacDonald, Manager of Coatbridge Citizens Advice Bureau, said:

“All the staff and volunteers at the Bureau are very grateful to the team of eight volunteers who came together and did a marvellous job in painting the premises.

“Everyone worked so hard to complete the job in one day, and it will make such a difference to volunteers and service users of the organisation, who will see a much cleaner and brighter looking Bureau when they visit in future.

“The Bureau has such a fast-paced environment, and although it sounds like a simple job to organise a bit of painting, it’s not easy to find time, helpers and resources when demand for our service is higher than ever and funding is tighter than ever.

“So what the eight volunteers did for us was fantastic, and we wanted to let them know how much we appreciated what they did by presenting them each with a certificate of recognition to say thank you.

“I would like to give an extra special mention to Coatbridge’s Peter Regan, who did an outstanding job in leading the team of volunteers on the day. Peter is a recently retired painter and decorator, and his skills and equipment were invaluable in helping the team complete the job to a good standard.”

The value of the service that the Bureau provides is underlined when looking at the organisation’s statistics and results achieved. During the nine months from April-December 2013, the Bureau received over 3,500 client contacts and dealt with almost 10,000 issues, offering advice and interventions which led to client financial gains of in excess of £800,000.

Those helped have included people being evicted from their home, disabled people with long term health issues being forced back to work, individuals who have been dismissed and treated unfairly by their employers, families with little or no food to eat, and those facing financial collapse or bankruptcy.

Fundraising to help ensure the Bureau has met the needs of all of its clients has been a key driver in the organisation’s success, particularly over the last two years. Volunteers have organised successful bingo nights, car boot sales, and quiz nights to support the sustainability of the charity.

To access advice from the Bureau, or to offer your services as a volunteer to support the Bureau in any way, please telephone 01236 421447, or e-mail bureau@coatbridgecab.casonline.org.uk. Full information about the Bureau’s services and opening times can be viewed online at www.coatbridgecab.co.uk.

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