CamTAD - Campaign for Tackling Acquired Deafness

VOLUNTEERING

Volunteer? Oh I’m not sure I could do that!

I saw an article about CamTAD in our local church magazine shortly after moving into the area from Yorkshire. The article was asking for volunteers to help within the charity CamTAD, with full training given, for a few hours a month. As I was new to the area and felt a bit like “Billy no Mates”, I rang the number and was invited to attend for an informal chat.

 

The work that CamTAD did sounded very worthwhile and the people that I met were very friendly, reassuring me that the work carried out by the volunteers wasn’t half as difficult as it sounded and I would always be trained and supported in what I was asked to do.

 

This sounded to be just what I needed, but would I be able to do it? I’m no Einstein! But, I thought I would give it a go.

 

I attended my first training session with trepidation. I didn’t want to be the only one that was too stupid to do it. We had such a laugh. We were all six of us as hopeless as each other, but helped each other and built up a lot of camaraderie. The CamTAD staff were brilliant. The whole morning was light hearted but informative and they were right, it wasn’t rocket science, it was just going to take a bit of practice. By the end of the second training session we all felt ready to try out our new skills, albeit a little slowly.

 

The first clinic that I attended was a bit nerve racking and I was very tense and anxious. Again, I had nothing to fear. I was accompanied to a busy clinic by the volunteer co-ordinator, so that I could see how things worked and to get in a bit of practice with real clients and their hearing aids. There was also a very capable “old campaigner” that routinely ran that clinic who was an absolute inspiration and allowed me to see how it should be done and how much fun it could be.

 

As time went on and my confidence increased and my skills improved I started to help at other clinics too when I had the time. This was invaluable as it allowed me to meet different volunteers, clients and situations. You slowly begin to realise what a useful part of the team you are, we all support each other and the CamTAD staff are always at the end of the phone if you have a query.

 

Clinics are run with two or more volunteers, so you are not alone, if you get in a muddle or are unsure there is always someone to help you, two heads are better than one, as they say. We usually have one person doing the paperwork (filling in the client’s record book and the CamTAD record sheet) and any others putting the new tube into the hearing aid and carrying out any other bits of maintenance that is required. We all “muck in” giving advice and information leaflets as and when needed. We are all issued with various leaflets and booklets to give advice to clients on how to maintain their hearing aid, which reinforces the work that we do. All the equipment that we need is provided and kept up to date, including any further training that may be required.

 

I am currently very fortunate in being involved in the clinics out in the countryside some distance from where I live. On a sunny day it’s a privilege to drive out and attend these clinics in their wonderful surroundings and hear the local stories from the clients, it really does make my day more interesting.

 

Most of our ongoing knowledge is boosted at our monthly meetings. I attend these as often as I can because they are really useful, but also it’s good to keep in contact with the other volunteers, keeping friendships going. We often have speakers at the meetings giving talks on related subjects, but sometimes we are treated to something of general interest, we even had relaxing hand and neck massages one day.

 

While I have been a volunteer I have met some lovely people from all walks of life (well, you get the odd one that is not so lovely, but I like a challenge!) and I have made some good friends too.

 

When you are at a clinic and a client comes in unable to hear a thing and at their wits end, you take their hearing aid, put a new piece of tube into it and they can hear again, it is fantastic. And then they tell you that you are a miracle worker – who am I to argue?