We’d love to hear from anyone in Devon or Cornwall interested in supporting people in crisis as they go through our legal system in Plymouth, Newton Abbot, Bodmin or Truro.
Volunteering with CASS+ could well be one of the most enriching and satisfying experiences of your life.
We hold the lifetime achievement of The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. You will be fully supported with our inhouse wellbeing and training programmes and it’s a wonderful way to meet new people; discover more about our legal system; and increase your job prospects, skills and experience. Get inspired by Mollie’s story here:
Volunteering helped Mollie find her vocation as a compassionate voice in our legal system
Mollie joined as a volunteer with CASS+ in 2020. Within a year, she’d found herself in a paid role as our Assistant Coordinator at the Magistrates’ Courts in Truro and Bodmin. It was here that she discovered her passion for criminal justice work and she applied for Law at the University of Plymouth. A year down the line and Mollie is now thriving at university.
Inside Truro Magistrates’ Court
As Mollie goes through court security, she’s looking forward to helping the people sent her way by everyone who works at the court. Here she shares a memorable moment:
From shop-lifting to financial security
I remember a lovely retired mechanic who was arrested for shop-lifting. With no money, he felt compelled to steal. I just wanted to get him out of this hole. As a dyslexic, reading, writing and form-filling were very difficult. This was made worse by no IT skills and no computer. I set to work filling in all the forms and he was overjoyed to learn that he was entitled to Universal Credit and housing benefit. He had paid National Insurance all his working life, and yet had no idea that there was any government support. I felt so happy to know that he would no longer need to steal to survive. Without this vital community advice and support service, there would be many people lost in our system, especially now that so few qualify for Legal Aid. With souring inflation, more and more people are now facing some very tough choices. By the time they reach the court, they are in serious crisis. This affects their mental health, so we’re definitely in the right place at the right time. We always have more than one problem to solve, but it’s so rewarding to send people on their way with their difficulties resolved.
Join our team
If you’re interested in applying to volunteer with CASS+, please contact admin@cassplus.org for more information. Travel expenses paid.