Volunteering - Suffolk Law Centre

Meet some of our Volunteers –

Glenda

I have been a volunteer at the Law Centre since November 2023. I assist the reception service by contacting people who have called us to seek advice, and by arranging appointments for them as appropriate. I am now retired but my working life was spent as an adviser, practice manager and in various similar roles within Law Centres and not-for-profit advice agencies. Law Centres play a vital role in facilitating access to justice for many people who do not have the means to pay for legal advice, particularly since the removal of many categories of social welfare law from the scope of legal aid.

David

David has been a volunteer, originally with the Ipswich and Suffolk Council for Racial Equality (ISCRE), and now with Suffolk Law Centre for 13 years.

David volunteers for the discrimination team and is responsible for the archiving of old files. He attends Suffolk Law Centre every week, he is consistent and a great asset to the team. He enjoys the calm atmosphere and the interaction with colleagues.

David enjoys volunteering because he likes to help the community and to help other people. He has a great knowledge of race discrimination issues and is part of the stop and search scrutiny panel of Suffolk Constabulary.

Outside of the Law Centre, David is interested in current affairs and enjoys a variety of music. We are lucky to have such a dedicated volunteer as part of the Law Centre family.

Carole

Why do you volunteer with SLC?

When I started volunteering with SLC I was a practicing family law barrister with considerable experience of Litigants in Person (LiPs) and the difficulties they experience as very few of them seemed to have access to community-based legal advice, and they were excluded from Legal Aid.

How would you describe your contribution to SLC?

I offer a twice-monthly family law clinic service at SLC, with three one-hour appointments available at each clinic.

I also set up a support service for LiPs at Ipswich Family Magistrates’ Court – the “Family Court HelpDesk” (FCHD) service, which is now operated by SLC, and I also volunteer at FCHD every month.

I am also now a trustee for SLC.

What do you get out of volunteering at SLC?

It keeps me off the streets! More seriously, it enables me to continue to share my legal knowledge and expertise.

What do you do outside of volunteering at SLC?

I aim to keep as fit as I possibly can, and I also love opera and gardening.

Volunteer with Us

If you are interested in volunteering with Suffolk Law Centre, please fill out and submit the form below.

Please note that you must be aged 18 or older to volunteer with us.

Title *

Other title: *

First Name *

Family Name (Last, Surname) *

Date of Birth *

Day

Month

Year

Address *

Main Telephone Number *

I'm happy for you to leave a message on my main telephone number

Secondary Telephone Number

I'm happy for you to leave a message on my secondary telephone number

Email *

Are you currently a student or recently graduated? *

Where did you hear about the Suffolk Law Centre? *

Please name the agency: *

Other, please state: *

Your Regular Availability

We require volunteers to assist with legal and/or general office work and volunteers who have specialist skills (such as event organisation or fundraising skills etc.).

Monday9:00am - 1:00pm2:00pm - 5:00pm

Tuesday9:00am - 1:00pm2:00pm - 5:00pm

Wednesday9:00am - 1:00pm2:00pm - 5:00pm

Thursday9:00am - 1:00pm2:00pm - 5:00pm

Friday9:00am - 1:00pm2:00pm - 5:00pm

May we call you at short notice if we need to? *

Any other information about availability and time commitments (e.g. school holidays)

Your Skills

Previous experience is not essential, but please give us a brief summary of your skills.

Do you have any other experience that you would like to mention?

What skills or experience would you like to develop through your time volunteering with Suffolk Law Centre?

What is your first language? *

Do you speak any other languages?

References

As part of the selection process for volunteers, SLC may ask for references to be taken. Please give the names and addresses of two referees. This can be a friend, teacher or a colleague, but please do not include any relative or person under 18 years.

Reference 1: Title (Mr, Mrs, etc.) *

Reference 1: First Name *

Family Name (Last, Surname) *

Reference 1: Address *

Reference 1: Phone *

Reference 1: Email *

Reference 1: Relationship *

Reference 1: How long have you known this person? *

Reference 2: Title (Mr, Mrs, etc.) *

Reference 2: First Name *

Family Name (Last, Surname) *

Reference 2: Address *

Reference 2: Phone *

Reference 2: Email *

Reference 2: Relationship *

Reference 2: How long have you known this person? *

Criminal Convictions

Do you have any criminal convictions? *

If the answer is yes, we may require further information from you. Having criminal convictions is not an automatic bar to volunteering and we assess every application on its merits. As we work with vulnerable people, we may require a DBS Check. Any DBS check is enhanced so all convictions whether spent or not need to be disclosed. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to discuss what this means.

Final Step

You will be bound by SLC’s policies including in relation to confidentiality and asked to sign a confidential agreement.

Please sign the form to indicate that you are happy to provide this information to apply for a volunteering role with SLC. I declare that the information given in this form is, to the best of my knowledge, correct. I understand that canvassing any representative of SLC, or giving false information/omitting to give information, will make my application unacceptable.

Yes, I agree.

Please enter your full name in place of a signature. *