Volunteers trained as Community Advice Champions to help tackle poverty

Volunteers at foodbank outlets in North Bristol are to receive special training to help foodbank customers sort out their financial difficulties. The Community Advice Champions scheme will see foodbank volunteers in Lockleaze, Filton, Horfield and Southmead receive training in welfare benefits issues, helping them to identify problems and signpost clients to appropriate support.

The new scheme, developed by North Bristol Advice Centre in partnership with North Bristol Foodbank, will give foodbank volunteers basic information on what benefits are available, eligibility criteria, changes brought in by welfare reforms, tax credits and how to make a claim. Volunteers will also learn how to fill out charity application forms on behalf of clients.

The training is being delivered by the North Bristol Advice Centre, which provides specialist welfare benefits and debt advice across North Bristol and South Gloucestershire.

“People who are struggling financially are not always aware that help is available,” said Drew Huskisson, Advice Team Manager at North Bristol Advice Centre. “The scheme will give foodbank volunteers the background information they need to identify underlying issues and signpost clients to the professional support they desperately need.”

In addition to the training course, volunteers will shadow a North Bristol Advice Centre advice worker to see the knowledge and skills that they have learned put into practice. They will then be supervised during a client appointment of their own by an advice worker with feedback provided.

“North Bristol Foodbank has been serving clients in North Bristol for just over 3 years,” said Stewart North, Manager of North Bristol Foodbank. “We are delighted to work with North Bristol Advice Centre who we already have a strong partnership with as we want to extend the help offered to clients, in order to address the underlying cause of their crisis and help them break the cycle of poverty. We are keen to see ‘Community Advice Champions’ as a way of working in partnership so that foodbanks will act as community hubs, providing people with emergency food and support, all in one location.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Katherine Tanko, North Bristol Advice Centre. 0117 0117 951 5751 or 07887 397 021 katherine@northbristoladvice.org.uk