Hi, I’m Lyn and I’ve been working with Deafblind UK since 2012 as Helpline Coordinator. My role has changed over the years as we have grown as a charity, but something I have always done is worked on our helpline, ensuring that it’s always covered and ready to support anyone who calls us, whether that is an individual with a sight and hearing loss, a family member, friend or a professional. We are always ready to listen and do the best we can for those who contact us, whether that’s by phone, email, or text and sometimes good old fashioned letters.

The helpline is supported by a small team of volunteers, which we are growing. This enables us to support even more people and ensure there is always someone available to take that call, whether it’s to take initial details of support required, help with accessing information, be that listening ear, or signpost to another organisation.  

We also have an admin volunteer who joins us in the office every other Wednesday afternoon and supports our Membership Services Administrator.  Our admin volunteer supports us by preparing our birthday cards ready for posting to our members. Sometimes our birthday card is the only card they receive. She also prepares our welcome packs to send to new members, so that they have all the information about the various services that we offer. This allows our Membership Services Administrator to concentrate on putting new members onto our database and getting our services information out to them in their preferred format. 

We certainly couldn’t do as much as we do without the support of our volunteers. We are all part of a friendly team, and together, we can support individuals and those who support them and make a difference.