Aims and Projects
Our main aim is to provide confidential help, advice, information and support to local residents in the Manchester areas found within the political boundaries of Cheetham and Crumpsall.
We advise on a whole range of subjects including: Welfare Benefits, Debt, Legal Problems, Consumer Matters, Family Problems, Immigration/Nationality, Access to Education and Health Services and Local information.
In providing our clients with advice and information, we hope to enable them to make their own decisions about their life and future, and bring about improvements in their standard of living.
Volunteer Project
We train volunteers to be community advice workers. We usually take on one group a year. Volunteers do the Advice Work Training (AWT) course which is Level 2, accredited by the Open College Network and part of a franchise with Manchester Adult Education Service.
Trainee volunteer advice workers need to be available for 1.5, or preferably 2, days per week for at least one year. As well as doing the AWT course they get practical experience in the advice centre. There are also opportunities to do further, free training.
We also have opportunities for volunteer interpreters, and admin workers. For this volunteers need to offer at least 3 hours per week. Between them our volunteers speak over 12 local community languages. We refund reasonable out-of-pocket expenses and we have a small budget for childcare expenses.
We are particularly interested in applications from local speakers of community languages e.g. Somali, Arabic, Urdu and Punjabi. We are also interested in hearing from asylum seekers, refugees.
If you are interested in volunteering at CHAC contact Margaret Manning, Volunteer Development Worker by phone 0161 740 8999 or email margaret@cheethamadvice.org.uk.
As part of the GoldStar programme we are sharing good practice in working with volunteers with other organisations. If you are interested in this also contact Margaret Manning as above.