Can you spare the time to help people in their hour of need?

Volunteers are needed at Bridport and District Citizens Advice Bureau.

The charity provides advice and support to more than 2,000 residents each year in the Bridport, Lyme Regis and Beaminster area. It is providing help to an increasing number of local people and needs more help.

To ensure that the best possible advice can be offered all new volunteers initially have to undertake a thorough training programme. The next course starts during September and there are still places available.

Bridport CAB manager, Rovarn Wickremasinghe, said: "We recognise that our training programme is rigorous but this helps us ensure that we have those best suited for the range of work that is involved. We often find that those who in the past have sought advice from us can use this experience to become excellent volunteers.”

The offices of Citizens Advice in South Street, Bridport, are open on weekdays from 10.00am to 3.00pm which anyone is welcome to attend to obtain free, confidential and impartial advice.

There are currently two weekly sessions also being held in Lyme Regis. One is every Wednesday from 10.00am to 3.00pm at the St Michael's Business Centre in the centre of the town and sessions are also being held on Mondays between 10.00am and midday at the Lyme Regis Medical Centre in Uplyme Road. Citizens Advice also runs a session at the Yarn Barton Community Centre, Beaminster, on Thursdays from 12.30pm to 3.00pm.

If you are interested in potentially becoming a volunteer at the CAB, you can contact Mr Wickremasinghe on 01308 456880. You can also email BureauManager@bridport-cab.org.uk