CITIZENS Advice East Hampshire has this week been celebrating the inspirational volunteers who dedicate their time to solving people’s problems and making a difference to their lives.

The charity used Volunteers’ Week, which ran from June 1-7, to shine a spotlight on the remarkable contribution of its team of more than 100 volunteers who give up hours of their time each week to help people find a way forward.

In Alton, the team welcomed town mayor Dean Phillips to their offices in Cross and Pillory Lane for tea and cake.

In the last year, Citizens Advice (formerly CAB) East Hampshire has helped more than 5,500 people with nearly 15,000 issues – from housing and debt issues to benefits and employment rights.

The charity’s volunteers have played a crucial role ensuring people in Alton, Bordon, Petersfield and the surrounding areas get the advice and support they need to get on with their lives.

Citizens Advice offers a wide range of voluntary roles – from advisers and administrators to trustees.

Arthur began volunteering with Citizens Advice East Hampshire around eight years ago. He said: “As a volunteer with the Citizens Advice, I enjoy the support of my colleagues and being able to give something back to the whole community.

“During my years here I have gained a huge amount of knowledge and a much better understanding of the public and their needs.”

Helen Drake, chief executive at Citizens Advice East Hampshire, said: “Thanks to our amazing volunteers we are able to continue making a huge difference to people’s lives. Our volunteers give up their time for free to help people who may be going through problems to get back on their feet.

“Volunteering also brings its own rewards and is a great way to meet new people and learn new skills. If you can spare a few hours each week, we’d love to hear from you.”

Nationally, Citizens Advice relies on 23,000 volunteers who help provide support in 2,900 locations across England and Wales, helping 2.7 million people every year.

Thanks to the contribution of district Citizens Advice volunteers, two out of every three clients have their problems solved and four out of five say the advice received improved their lives.

Anyone interested in volunteering with Citizens Advice East Hampshire should call Becky Wright on 01420 544807 or e-mail [email protected].