Be the hand that lifts others up as a board member with Argyll & Bute Citizens Advice Bureau

According to Elly Bittleston, Chair of the Board of Trustees, much of the work is flexible and can be done around your schedule.

‘We meet four times a year for an afternoon, but there will be some papers to read that will take an hour or so.  There is training available, which is pretty much online. It’s not a huge time commitment, but does require a commitment to the organisation.’

Elly, joined the Board in 2016, having retired from a career as a nurse and outpatient clinic manager.  
‘I wanted to do something that involved my management skills, particularly working with disadvantaged people. I thought I’d be coming on to help in an HR or management role using my knowledge of the health service, but it’s been much wider than that. The training that Citizens Advice Scotland provides is very good, in topics such as budgeting and accounting that were a total mystery to me. I’ve learned so much about how to run a business.’

Citizens Advice Bureau serves on the front line of the most important challenges facing the residents of Argyll and Bute, connecting people in need with services and benefits to which they are entitled. Because Trustees  and volunteers are locals, they understand the area’s unique issues and can come up with tailor made solutions. 

For example, as Elly explained, one of their initiatives that began as a pilot scheme to address the geographical distances required to access some services ended up as a lifeline during lockdown. 
‘Before the pandemic, we were already piloting a scheme called Reach Out Argyll, in which we were doing a lot more remote work and interacting with our clients over the phone or via Skype. So when lockdown happened we did not lose even a single day. We built on that, and now we can send people out to more remote locations such as Tiree, or Islay if someone needs a face to face. That is something we are very proud of.’ 

In addition to keeping her brain active and the personal development opportunities, working with the team at Citizens Advice is a personal highlight of Elly’s experience.  

‘The most rewarding part of being a Trustee is meeting the dedicated volunteers who do the work for the clients. We couldn’t exist without them. I get to work with people who have lots of different of ideas and the  enthusiasm to make a difference. It’s very inclusive, a real team. And it gives you the satisfaction of being on the Board of a charity that is making a real difference in people’s lives.’
 

For further information and full description of the role, visit www.abcab.org.uk/careers/Trustees-our-Board-directors or contact Jen Broadhurst, Bureau Manager Argyll and Bute Citizens Advice Bureau at jen.broadhurst@abcab.org.uk