A TOWN'S citizens advice bureau wants people to be part of the next 80 years of its history by volunteering with them.

The Darlington Citizens Advice service started almost 80 years ago on September 4, 1939 - the day after the beginning of the Second World War.

As part of Volunteers’ Week, which runs from June 1 to June 7, Darlington Citizens Advice wants to thank current volunteers for their contribution and welcome new recruits to help bring the charity into its next 80 years.

The volunteers at Citizens Advice Darlington contribute 680 hours each week and last year helped people with 27,331 problems, such as debt, housing, benefit and employment issues.

Volunteers at Citizens Advice help people the organisation in roles such as giving our clients information and advice, raising funds, keeping the service running smoothly, and helping with the strategic direction of the organisation.

Volunteers at Citizens Advice come from a range of backgrounds and ages to contribute their time and skills to help deliver this important service.

Organisers say the benefits are many and the organisation's volunteers increase skills and confidence while meeting new people and making a positive difference to people’s lives.

Helen Howson, chief officer at Darlington Citizens Advice, said: “Our volunteers contribute their time and energy to make a huge difference to people’s lives and help keep our vital service running.

"If you’d like to help people in your community, and can spare a few hours a week, we’d love to hear from you.”

Earlier this yearm Citizens Advice Darlington announced Mrs Howson will step into the role left vacant by Neeraj Sharma, who has been appointed chief of autism support charity, Daisy Chain, in Stockton.

She will be following in the footsteps of Mr Sharma, who introduced a range of new services to the town's Citizens Advice, including action to stop social isolation in the elderly and a youth employability programme.

And one of her first promises was to launch a new Help to Claim service for people struggling to access Universal Credit following its controversial rollout in the last year.

If you’re interested in finding out more about volunteering with Darlington Citizens Advice or for more information about the types of roles they offer, contact Rachel Wearmouth or Dawn Gill on 01325 266888 or visit the national Citizens Advice website at www.citizensadvice.org.uk.