carole

Hello; I’m Carole and I am the manager of St Luke’s Advice Service. I have been with St Luke’s since March 2005 and prior to this I was a Civil Servant in a large Government Department. When not in the office I enjoy music, craft work and reading and I am also on the Chichester Diocesan Synod. I hope that by looking at this page it means that you might be interested in volunteering with us.

As you can see our volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds with a range of experience and interests but we all work together as one large team supporting each other to achieve the best possible outcome for our many clients. If you would like to find out about volunteering with St Luke’s Advice Service, then we have a variety of roles that might interest you. We usually ask for a minimum commitment of 3 hours a week.

We look for a range of skills, knowledge and experience and we look to recruit volunteers as advisers (both debt and welfare benefits) admin. support, receptionists, legal and IT support. If you are interested then complete this application form and we will contact you for an informal interview. Those volunteers who come into contact with clients will be required to undergo a full Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check, paid for by us.

We promise that if you volunteer with us as an adviser, we will provide the necessary training, supervision and support to enable you to grow in your role. You will be paid any expenses. We have regular team meetings with trustees, a Christmas meal together and other social activities.

Our Volunteers:

Alison

Hi, I'm Alison. I have worked as a volunteer at St. Luke's Advice Service for about a year. I really enjoy working here, being able to help other people is very rewarding. Everyone in the office gets on well together and it fits well into my busy life of looking after my three kids. Before I had children I worked in several offices such as Solicitors and Architects doing secretarial and administrative work. I wanted to diversify my skills and help other people St. Luke's was the ideal place.

Claire

Hi I'm Claire
I joined St Luke's Advice Service in 2006. A couple of friends had used the service and found it extremely helpful and supportive so I decided to become a volunteer. I help clients fill in Benefits forms mainly and deal with debt issues. I love the work, it is a busy office and I enjoy working along side a great team.

Fred

I’m Fred and I joined the advice service in December 2002 after 3 years with the Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB). The CAB did not satisfy my desire to give my time to support victims of modern society and bureaucracy. CAB stops short of getting involved.
I was enthused by the SLAS organisation who wanted to get involved and was inspired by the advisers who got ‘hands on’ with client problems, looking at the wider picture of their lives. For me this tends to mean money problems and the failure of major organisations to deal with their desire to make a profit. It can be hard work and emotionally draining: Christians do this sort of thing.

John

I became a volunteer at St Luke’s during 2007 having worked in the finance industry for almost 30 years. I am a fellow of the Institute of Actuaries and hold the advanced diploma in financial planning. I have worked as a financial adviser for 20 years and in that time run both small and medium sized companies. I moved to Brighton in 2007 and now only work part time and so have time to devote to other activities. The practical and supportive work done by St Luke’s in an area in which my background equips me to help made it a natural way in which to support the local community. I am married with two adult children and have been a Christian for over 25 years. I enjoy running, going to the cinema and drinking coffee on Brighton seafront.

Liz

Liz has worked for more years than she cares to remember in a variety of front line advice services. Her special area of knowledge is Housing Law - for private tenants and landlords, Council tenants and Housing Association tenants. She knows some stuff about welfare benefits and how to deal with debt. When not volunteering with SLAS, Liz spends time with friends and family, going to cinemas and theatres, walking in the country, and trying to keep her garden and home in good order.

Michael (Mike) Gray – Trustee

I worked for the Inland Revenue (now H M Revenue & Customs) for 40 years, the last 20 of which served as a District Inspector of Taxes. On retirement in 1996, I set up a small private practice as a Tax Consultant/Accountant and also joined a local firm run by a previous member of the Inland Revenue, where I work three days per week. I have held various “Church” positions and am presently Church Treasurer as well as being Trustee and Treasurer for three Christian Charities, including St Luke’s Advice Service.

Sarah

Hi, I am Sarah. I volunteered as part of my degree course and found the experience extremely rewarding and useful. Having become attached to the other volunteers and the clients I have continued with SLAS beyond the end of my placement.

Spencer

Hello. My name is Spencer. I have been privileged to be involved with SLAS since 1999. I trained as an adviser but became a trustee in my first year, and have been acting as chairman since 2003. It is wonderful to work with such a loyal, enthusiastic and fun team. My particular role for SLAS is publicity.
I have always been in business for myself, but lately am getting involved in film production. Having had a measure of success with a short film, I am taking a big step and hoping to release a full-length film within the next eighteen months. I grew up in the east end of London and am a dedicated West Ham fan so: “I’m forever blowing bubbles”!

Val Val

I’m Val, and have been with St Luke’s for just over a year. Since retiring from BT. as bookkeeper/accountant. I worked as a volunteer with Age Concern for 8 years, on both Advice and Insurance. I enjoyed both, and, after leaving, felt that it would be a shame to waste the years of training and acquired knowledge. I heard that St Luke’s was recruiting,
having previously learnt of the good work that they do applying Christian principles to their judgement and impartiality to help anybody regardless of race, colour, or religion
I love working here and hope that they will let me stay. My hobbies are reading, crosswords and latest craze, Sudoku. I occasionally knit but prefer to make small things that I can finish quickly. I joined Mensa a few years ago but, so far, have done little with my membership apart from giving me delusions that I’m an undiscovered genius.(IQ 159)

Marcus

Hello, I’m Marcus. As a recent ex-member of St Luke’s church I got involved with SLAS due to my interest in problems before they get to big; debt being one of them. This represents a major change for me as I used to work as the entomologist (bug person) in a natural history museum.

I joined SLAS nearly a year ago so I am still learning. It is very enjoyable and rewarding. The SLAS team are hugely experienced and great to work with

Carol

I have been a SLAS Trustee since 2007. I Live in Brighton with my husband and my dog, Jake. I have two grown-up children who live nearby. I am Involved in church and charity activities including fundraising.

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