CITIZENS’ Advice Torridge, North, Mid and West Devon has been honoured by the Citizens’ Advice service for its outstanding teamwork that’s helped to provide thousands of people with advice.

The charity was given the One service working award at the Citizens’ Advice annual conference last week. The award recognises a local Citizens’ Advice Bureau that sets the standard for working together.

The local bureau, which has branches in Tavistock and Okehampton, helps over 11,500 local people each year with problems ranging from debt to discrimination.

The team is made up of 150 volunteers and 32 members of staff. They have 11 locations across the county, spanning four local authorities and covering a number of rural areas. Volunteers are based in different areas and may only work one day a week each so the full team don’t get a chance to meet often in person, making good communication and teamwork crucial.

Over the last year, the charity has developed the volunteer experience and has invested in improving its internal communications by setting up an ‘intranet’ site so that it’s easier to share information and resources with each other.

These changes have helped volunteers to share new ideas for building on how they deliver advice to local people, including following up with people they’ve helped a few months on to see if they have solved their problems, or if they’d benefit from further advice.

Members of the charity — including Torridge, North, Mid and West Devon CEO, Vicki Rowe; communications officer Georgia Ainsworth; trustee, David Margetts; manager, Viki Phillips and volunteer adviser, Lynda Martin — received the award from Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens’ Advice.

Gillian Guy said: ‘Citizens’ Advice Torridge, North, Mid and West Devon is leading the way in helping local people solve their problems. Not only have staff and volunteers given advice to thousands of people this year alone, they are committed to finding new ways of developing their service. The charity understands that volunteers are the backbone of the service and has worked hard to make new starters feel valued and supported so they can continue to give the best possible advice to local people.

She congratulated the bureau for winning the One service working award and thanked it for its outstanding work in its community.

Vicki Rowe, chief executive of Citizens’ Advice Torridge, North, Mid and West Devon said: ‘All our hard work and commitment has paid off. We’ve collectively pulled together on this and it’s people in the local community who should now feel the full benefit of a more efficient and cohesive organisation.’