As part of the lead up to International Volunteer Managers Day (IVMD), we caught up with a few of the fantastic Managers of Volunteers here in Marlborough.
Introducing Heather Ramsay, the wonderful Manager at Citizens Advice Bureau
Tell us about how you first got involved with the Citizens Advice Bureau
I signed up as a volunteer after retiring early from teaching due to an injury that restricted my physical movement. I was looking for a role that involved working with people, helping and empowering them, plus involved additional learning and development for myself.
What was your first impression?
The professional approach and welcoming atmosphere
What has surprised you most about working with the CAB?
The wide range of enquiries we get - from a client wanting a phone number for an organisation to complext tenancy concerns and more!
What do you find most challenging about the work you do here?
Keeping up with all the changes to legislation. Luckily our National office is always updating information that comes through from government and agencies, and inputing information onto our website for us to refer to.
What's the best thing to happen since you started working here?
Meeting and helping people. I have developed friendships and gained additional insight and knowledge into a wide range of issues
What do you wish other people knew about your role with the CAB?
That we are a valuable resources in our community. We never tell people what to do. We simply inform them of their rights and provide options for them, to be able to move forward.
What might someone be surprised to know about you?
In my youth, I was a surfer chick!
What would you tell someone who is thinking about volunteering here?
What a fantastic service we offer to the community. For someone who wants to assist and empower others and be a lifelong learner themselves, the opportunity to train and be a volunteer for CAB will be life changing and very rewarding.
How would your best friend describe you?
Open, warm, caring, organised
If you had an elephant, what would you do with it?
Take it home and look after it. Feed it lots and talk to it.