LEIGH'S MP visited staff and volunteers at a town resource centre.

Andy Burnham chatted to the team at the Add A Voice facility in Church Street, which provides a much-needed advocacy support service.

The MP has recently been appointed to the Health Select Committee and is keen to learn more about the work of local groups.

The resource centre opened in 1994 as an umbrella advocacy group and, five years later, set up it's own direct service, providing help for individuals all over Wigan.

A team of trained volunteers offer support to those in the community, such as assisting a person attend meetings or write letters, supporting and enabling a person to move out of sheltered accommodation, and helping clients access information about budgeting their finances.

Add A Voice, which is a registered charity, will be recruiting new volunteers over the next few months to support the increasing number of clients contacting them for support.

The next training course starts in October.

Training is available and anyone interested in becoming a volunteer, or wanting to know more, should call the office on 01942 601563 or e-mail lucy@addavoice.fsnet.co.uk