25/09/2026
Definitely worth a read. Our service has not only been in existence for40 years , it has grown and is continuously developing to meet the needs of 2026 and will continue to evolve through dedication of our volunteers.❤️
If we want to understand how people in our communities are really doing, we need to listen to those on the front line.
Every day, Citizens Advice Bureau volunteers hear from people trying to make ends meet, understand their rights and find a way through systems that can be difficult to navigate. They see the challenges behind the statistics, and they help people work out what to do next.
At Citizens Advice Bureau Napier 40th anniversary AGM, Kerry Dalton, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice Bureau New Zealand, spoke about what those 40 years of service have meant for our community. She also spoke about why a trusted person to talk to matters so much right now.
Kerry kindly shared her speech so I could share it with you. It’s a longer read for the weekend, but I hope you’ll make time for it. Her words are a wonderful tribute to the volunteers and staff who have been there for Napier over four decades, and an honest look at the challenges people are bringing through CAB’s doors today. There’s plenty in it for all of us to think about.
Speech at CAB Napier’s 40th AGM
Kerry Dalton, Chief Executive, CABNZ
Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa
It is such a privilege to be here with you when you are celebrating 40 years of service to the Napier community.
It gives me the opportunity to acknowledge the special contribution that you make to your community.
We are an organisation whose life blood is the mahi aroha of volunteers. If you and the people who have gone before you did not have the generosity of spirit, to gift your time in support of your community, we would not be celebrating the longevity and effectiveness of CAB Napier today.
And it is fitting that this celebration is happening in the International Year of the Volunteer.
Recently I was in Auckland to receive the MoneyHub Editor's Choice Award for Favourite Free Advisory Service. While it was wonderful recognition for CAB, that award belongs to you. It reflects the care, professionalism, dedication, and aroha that you bring to our service every day.
The CAB is a place where people know they will be listened to.
Where they will be treated with dignity and respect.
A place where they will not be judged.
And where they will leave with information and knowledge about their options and a way forward.
And because we are a universal service, anyone can come to us for help with any issue. People know the CAB is somewhere they can turn to no matter what.
One CAB volunteer described it this way:
"Volunteering at CAB is much more than doing charity for me; it's a movement of compassion. It reminds me how a little kindness, empathy and understanding can go a long way and improve someone's life."
I think that captures the profound human connection of our service.
And that connection is becoming more important than ever.
We live in a time when government services are increasingly digital, when people are expected to navigate complex systems online, and when artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming part of everyday life.
Technology brings enormous opportunities. It can make services faster, more efficient, and more accessible.
But technology cannot replace the reassurance of another human being.
It cannot replace a listening ear.
Or empathy.
It cannot replace the feeling respected and heard.
People come to CAB not only because they need information. They come because they also need the reassurance of talking things through with another person. And that is not going to change. You have been providing a place where people can get that reassurance for the past 40 years and as loneliness, isolation, financial hardship, and stress continue to affect many communities, the role you play becomes even more significant.
For many people, CAB is vital because they struggle to access information and services online. This can be due to issues of poverty, disability, literacy, language, or confidence with technology. Thousands of people still need face-to-face support to access their rights and the services they need.
As government withdraws more and more from face to face services, the CAB is left to fill the gap. This is not acceptable. We have already spoken out about this and campaigned for government to provide multi-channel ways for people to engage with it – being accessible to all people is a fundamental responsibility that government has to its citizens. We are about to release another report and speak out again based on the evidence you have collected from your interactions with people. And because we are a universal service that goes across all government agencies, we are uniquely placed to hold the mirror up to government and call them out on this systemic failure.
This why, the future of the CAB is not about changing who we are.
It is about amplifying what makes us so valuable.
And what makes us valuable is clear.
It is you, our people.
It is our independence.
Our confidentiality.
Our accessibility, our universality.
And it is our trusted information.
Trust has become one of the defining challenges of our time.
We are living through an era of misinformation and disinformation. We are seeing growing uncertainty about what information is accurate, reliable, and worthy of confidence.
At the same time, AI technologies can generate responses that sound convincing but are sometimes wrong.
In that environment, trusted information becomes incredibly valuable.
People know that when they come to the CAB, the information they receive has been checked, verified, and is information that they can trust.
That trust has been earned over decades.
It is one of our greatest strengths.
So as we ourselves look to take advantage of AI and other technologies it is in such a way that we can have confidence in the veracity of the information that you are using and that is being presented to our clients.
I think we have got that balance right with the Volunteer helper app which you are now all using. We use AI to speed up the search and delivery of information from our own database of accurate and checked information.
Interesting one of the challenges in developing the Volunteer helper app was to get AI to say when it couldn’t find information as its default is to make something up so it doesn’t look bad. It never wants to be wrong or at a loss.
AI is developing rapidly and we will continue to look for ways in which it and other technologies can enhance our online service and support you in your interactions with people while not putting at risk the trust that people have in us and our information.
Another key thing that feeds into the trust that people have in us is our independence.
CAB has always been more than a service provider.
We are part of civil society.
We help people understand their rights and responsibilities.
We help them participate more fully in society.
We help people navigate and engage with public institutions.
And in doing so, we contribute to something fundamental: a healthy democracy.
Every day, through your interactions, you help build trust, belonging, participation, understanding, and social cohesion.
That work is pure gold. It strengthens communities in ways that are both practical and profound.
And that is why our independence matters so much.
Although we often help people access government services, we remain independent from government. That independence allows us to be trusted, to advocate, and to speak up when systems are not working for people.
Our loyalty is to the people and communities we serve.
Before I finish today, I want to acknowledge each of you.
This organisation exists because people like you choose to give your time, your skills, and your energy in service of others. We are an organisation whose life blood is the huge contribution made by volunteers. I acknowledge all the CAB Napier volunteers and staff, past and present, for their contribution over forty years to making a community that is kind, caring and empowering.
Every day, you make someone feel heard, respected, and supported.
Every day, you make your community stronger.
For that, and for everything you do, thank you.
He taonga rongonui te aroha ki te tāngata
Goodwill towards others is a precious treasure.
