Have you considered volunteering or working at the Citizens Advice Bureau?

Volunteering with Citizens Advice provides training, skills and experience that is valued by many employers. Many volunteers who leave local Citizens Advice go on to paid employment, including with the Citizens Advice service, as well as other organisations.

We will be speaking with Alison Dunn, the Chief Executive Officer at Citizens Advice Gateshead, where we'll be asking:

• What are the main roles for people who want to work at CAB?
• How does it take to go from volunteer to paid employment?
• What skills/qualities are valued by CAB?
• What benefit can the 50+ demographic offer CAB?
• If someone wanted to find out more, what would be the best starting point? Is it possible to job shadow, for example? 

Come and join us so you can become better informed about volunteering and jobs at the Citizens Advice Bureau.

About Alison Dunn

Alison has been Chief Executive Officer of independent charity Citizens Advice Gateshead since 2012, during which time she has led its growth from £1.4m to over £4m turnover, now employing 180 staff, driven by her passion for social justice and a determination to challenge the persistence of poverty and inequality.

The charity now delivers free, impartial advice, information, guidance and advocacy services nationally and locally, and is recognised for its innovative service delivery in response to the vast and complex advice needs of members of the public. 

Alison originally joined the charity as Service Delivery Manager in 2007, and after 2 years was appointed Contract Manager of the charity’s predecessor the Community Legal Advice Centre, which saw her manage the first tri-partite multi-million pound contract of its kind between Legal Service Commission, Local Authority & multiple service providers, ultimately described by the Legal Service Commission as “the best Community Legal Advice Centre in the United Kingdom”.   

As well as her position as CEO for Citizens Advice Gateshead, for the past two years Alison has held a dual role as Service Director, Community & Voluntary Sector Development in a unique collaboration with Gateshead Local Authority.

She is a recognised VCSE leader, Board Member, Trustee and Director of charities and social enterprise including the charity’s own trading subsidiary Society Matters cic, and was recognised as a Community Champion in HRH Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday celebrations.

Earlier in her career, as a former solicitor, Alison gained several years of experience practising in company and business law, debt collection, contract law, insolvency, landlord and tenant, employment and HR, charity law and governance.  

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About Lucy Dinsdale

Lucy spent 15 years working in consultancy and in-house learning and development roles within the corporate sector before making the move into

the world of charities in 2021, initially as a part-time volunteer. Having spent 15 months working in fundraising and strategic change in Citizens Advice, she
now leads on all matters relating to people and workforce development for Central England Law Centre.

Outside work, Lucy is an avid hiker and traveller. She recently achieved her ambition of walking a part of the South West Coast Path and, in March this year,
she travelled independently through Israel.

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