A chartered accountant from Great Chesterford has spoken about his experience volunteering for VoiceAbility for Volunteers' Week.

Since January, Ben Iles has been volunteering for the independent voice and rights charity, which supports people to be heard in decisions about their health, care and wellbeing.

Ben, who was born with cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, said a really serious illness made him reassess his priorities in life when he returned to work.

He chose to reduce his working hours, which gave him the opportunity to volunteer one day a week.

Ben got in touch with VoiceAbility - one of the UK's largest providers of advocacy and involvement services - after seeing that they provided support for people in nearby Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

He completed training with the charity and has been volunteering for the past five months.

Speaking during Volunteers' Week, which runs from Thursday, June 1 to Wednesday, June 7, Ben reflected on his time with the charity so far.

He said: "I’ve had a lot of different issues in my life with my disability, my care package, my housing situation and many more.

"I’ve experienced so much in my life, but am now in quite a fortunate position – so I wanted to use these experiences to do something to assist other people. I realise this may be a bit cliché, but I wanted to give something back.

"In my first week volunteering I spoke to a client and made notes about her situation. I went away and completed the actions we discussed after talking it through with VoiceAbility’s volunteer manager Jacqui.

"I rang the client back a week later and she was so pleased I can had come back to her and did what I said I would.

"I got a real buzz and could tell that what I was putting forward could really make a difference in her life.

"If you’re thinking of volunteering, I’d say go for it. It’s really rewarding as you get to use your knowledge and skills for a really good purpose.

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"In my case, it’s really different to my 'day job' as an accountant, so I like that contrast."

VoiceAbility provides a wide range of free advocacy services in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, including Care Act advocacy, independent mental capacity advocacy, independent mental health advocacy, NHS complaints advocacy and statutory children's advocacy.

The charity also runs Speak Out Cambridgeshire for people who are autistic or have a learning disability.

Jacqui Nuttall, volunteer manager at VoiceAbility, added: "A huge thank you to Ben and all our other volunteers for the important part they play in ensuring people are heard when it matters most.

"If you’re thinking about volunteering then please visit our website to find out more, where there’s also a short form you can fill in to register your interest."

For more information about volunteering for VoiceAbility visit voiceability.org/volunteer.

Volunteers' Week is an annual celebration of the contribution millions of people make across the UK through volunteering to help in their communities.