A VOLUNTEER who has been offering an 'exceptional service' giving specialist information and advice to residents in need is retiring after more than a decade.

Peter Wright, has been a volunteer supervisor for Citizens Advice Bridport & District and is soon to retire from the charity after 12 years.

Mr Wright said: “During the last 12 years as a volunteer at Bridport Citizens Advice I have met so many people who are struggling with issues including benefits, housing, debt and relationship breakdown.

"I have listened to them and then advised or pointed them in the right direction to find the solution to their problem. To volunteer within this supportive environment of experienced and knowledgeable staff has enabled me to see so many people move from despair to hope.”

Rovarn Wickremasinghe, chief officer, Citizens Advice Bridport & District said: “Peter is part of an incredible team of volunteers who freely give their time and skills to ensure people in Bridport and the surrounding area can get support in their time of need. We’d like to thank Peter for his exceptional service.

“I’m really proud of the immense dedication they’ve shown during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, when demand for our help is so high and people are facing very stressful situations."

The local Citizens Advice branch says it has seen many enquiries from residents struggling to pay their household bills, as the cost-of-living crisis bites.

As part of Volunteers’ Week, which runs from June 1 to 7, 2022, Citizens Advice Bridport & District wants to thank its volunteers for their exceptional contribution to the charity and local community.

62 volunteers at Citizens Advice Bridport & District contribute in total more than 300 hours’ of their time each week.

In the last year, the local team of volunteers have helped people with 10,000 separate problems and seen the numbers of benefits, debt, and housing enquiries increase since the previous year.

With rising inflation and energy costs affecting millions of people across the country, Citizens Advice has continued to give essential advice and crisis support to help people find a way forward.

Anyone interested in finding out more about volunteering with Bridport and District Citizens Advice can contact advice@briport-cab.org.uk or leave a message on 01308 456594. Full training and support is provided for volunteer roles.

For more information visit the national Citizens Advice website.