STAFF and volunteers have celebrated 80 years of providing free advice to those in need.

Citizens Advice South and Vale branch marked the milestone birthday earlier this month, with a party at the Guildhall in Abingdon alongside special guests from the town and district councils.

Nationally, Citizens Advice was founded in 1939, the day after World War II was declared, to help people deal with the impact of war.

It now addresses a range of topics such as debt, benefits, family problems and consumer issues.

Last year Citizens Advice Oxfordshire South and Vale helped 11,999 people to resolve 20,200 problems, from its offices in Didcot, Thame, Abingdon, Wallingford and Henley, as well as its outreach work.

The branch's chief executive Jon Bright said: "This service is only possible thanks to the dedication and commitment of our 160 highly trained volunteers, who give up their time to help people in our community find a solution to their problems."

More volunteers are needed, as the number of people seeking advice in the area has increased by 30 per cent over the last three years.

Volunteer posts include advisers, receptionists, administrators, IT support and fundraisers.

Anyone interested in helping can contact Citizens Advice Oxfordshire South and Vale on 01235 550553 or email recruitment@osavcab.org.uk.