Case Study from VAST Volunteering
Citizens Advice Staffordshire North and Stoke-on-Trent Welcome Advice Community Volunteer – Amazing Adekunle!
Adekunle is one of the amazing volunteers that supports Citizens Advice Staffordshire North and Stoke-on-Trent as a Welcome Advice Community Volunteer.
Citizens Advice Staffordshire North and Stoke-on-Trent (CASNS) is one of the country’s largest advice agencies with a national reputation for exciting and innovate work. They are an independent local charity, led by a Trustee Board of local volunteers. CASNS operates across North Staffordshire, each year they give 20,000 local people the advice they need to solve 55,000 brand new problems, alongside supporting 30,000 victims of crime, and answering 130,000 calls on our national consumer helpline. Wow what a fantastic charity!
Gloria, our Inclusive Volunteering Project Officer, initially met with Adekunle in July 2024 and spent time getting to know Adekunle and gaining insight into Adekunle skills and abilities.
Adekunle previously worked as a media aide and personal assistant and volunteered in environmental and climate change. Adekunle also had experience of working as a project assistant, and photographer.
Adekunle identified that the Welcome Advice Community Volunteer role would be a great role for him to utilise his own experiences and develop new skills.
CASNS were looking for individuals with specific skills and abilities:
- Due to the specifics of the project, they were looking for individuals with lived experience with the UK’s Immigration and Asylum system.
- Flexible and open to refugees, asylum seekers and other migrants from diverse backgrounds.
- Ability to speak English as well as other languages is desirable.
And these skills matched Adekunle exactly, so this was a great start!
Adekunle was excited to start volunteering and when asked why Adekunle wanted to volunteer, he said: ”I wanted to make an impact on my community, improve my skills and interact with others.”
Adekunle’s role and responsibilities are varied and includes some of the following tasks:
- Assist in empowering members of the local refugee, asylum, and migrant communities with the guidance of CASNS.
- Support CASNS during events and workshops for those communities.
- Serve as a mediator by translating information to members of the local refugee, asylum and migrant communities who have limited knowledge of English.
- Support CASNS by providing first line advice to local people seeking advice and assistance.
When asked what the benefits of being a volunteer are, Adekunle explained
Moving forwards, I am sure that you will agree Adekunle has a very bright future ahead of him as he continues to improve his skills, impact his community and support the community in Stoke-on-Trent.
“I get to know about my community in Stoke-on-Trent, I meet people, it helps to support my mental health, and I enjoy learning new things. Volunteering also helps to keep me busy and helps with boredom.”
