"You will join a friendly community and you will be really valued"

The Cambridgeshire Deaf Association (CDA) was established over 100 years ago and is at the heart of the local Deaf Community. Their services include support for day-to-day living; different sports and recreational activities and a befriending service for those most at risk in the community.

Three CDA volunteers share their volunteering story.

Volunteer A:

I volunteer at the CDA through the befriending scheme. Being deaf myself I fully understand the challenges a deaf person faces, including isolation, depression, communication barriers regarding simple tasks. I started learning BSL and that’s how I discovered the CDA community and its volunteering opportunities.

I wanted to help, and I was relieved to be supported all the way through the volunteering process. It gave me more self-confidence, to be able to make the first step towards someone, to organise events. It made me realise I could in fact do a lot more than I thought, that some people are in crucial need even if it is just to be able to go out for a coffee, to step out of the house, to see a different environment, to create an account online, explain a letter, or to book an appointment.

I started organising a board game event for deaf people with the help of my tutor and even if the beginning was a bit hesitant, I’m happy to see more and more people joining in, less afraid of not being able to hear, of not being able to understand the rules of these strange board games. It’s just about having fun with other people who are also able to communicate with deaf people. And it’s rewarding as a volunteer to see their smiles at the end.

While volunteering, I also met other people, other volunteers, other hard of hearing or deaf people as well as CDA staff. I’ve made new friendships, and, since I am also learning BSL in level 3, my role helped me improve my skills. I also very much appreciate the help I receive as a deaf person; it feels good to give back to the community and to feel useful.

I would say don’t hesitate to join the CDA and help. Even if it’s for just one hour or for a full day, you will join a friendly community and you will be really valued. You can make a huge difference to a person’s day and mood.

Volunteer B:

I have always been keen to get more involved with volunteering, I have always enjoyed helping others and had previously worked in roles that involved caring and supporting others with additional needs. I wanted to find a role that I felt was aligned with my lived experiences, as someone who is profoundly deaf since birth myself. I have experienced first hand the difficulties Deaf/ HOH people have experienced particularly socially and with isolation. CDA seemed to fit what I was looking for as my first active volunteering role.

I enjoy volunteering and meeting others within the deaf/ HOH community. I feel a part of change for our most vulnerable members of the deaf community and helping them to access opportunities out in the community. I enjoy supporting others and aid our vulnerable clients to be able to get out in the community, where our clients do not need to fear being judged, not being accepted, or fitting in. 

I enjoy attending CDA events, these give me the opportunity to meet other volunteers, staff members from CDA. I enjoyed the opportunity of attending a training event held by CDA and found the training was a good refresh on my existing knowledge and was a fantastic opportunity to hear other volunteers and CDA staff perspectives on tricky situations that can arise whilst we are supporting our clients.

Volunteering with CDA is enjoyable, there is plenty of opportunities that are available to us volunteers, such as Team Building Days, CDA events etc. CDA is very enthusiastic, inspiring, and positively driven about supporting its deaf community, being a volunteer for CDA is rewarding and worthwhile. I am part of an organisation that is enthusiastic about supporting Deaf people and closing the gap between deaf/ HOH and hearing groups. Volunteering for CDA is worthwhile and you really feel part of something that is diverse and important for the deaf community.

Volunteer C:

I have been a volunteer at Cambridgeshire Deaf Association for a year and a half. Before I began my journey as a volunteer with CDA, I had just finished my A Level exams and began my gap year in order to figure out what I wanted to do. I knew before joining as a volunteer at CDA I wished to volunteer during that time of my life, but I was unsure how. That is until I found information about the Cambridgeshire Deaf Association on social media and that they provided opportunities to volunteer with them whilst also learning British Sign Language up to a qualification of Level 1. I leapt at the opportunity as I had always wanted to learn sign language, even during my time as a student at secondary school and sixth form I believed that learning British Sign Language would have more importance than learning other oral languages, such as French.

I started the British Sign Language lessons course in October 2022 and I was greeted with so many people who also wished to learn the language. However, I felt nervous in this new setting as other people in the lesson knew some BSL, whereas I knew none. Despite this, I was able to develop my skills in British Sign Language at an amazing pace, because of my fantastic teacher and CDA member, Serena Pattison. By December of that year, I began to volunteer for CDA, as I went out to events and began to meet new people who are in the Deaf Community. The people that I met during these befriending events were amazing individuals and they were so kind to me and the other new volunteers.

There were many events that I went to, such as mini golf, coffee mornings, board game days, and bowling. Additionally, I began to volunteer with my own client as I helped him with going to the shops, or we played board games at his home. I really loved placing a smile on other people’s faces as I volunteered with them. This really boosted my own confidence in both BSL and myself, as after the pandemic, I was nervous meeting new people. By being able to volunteer with CDA I was able to overcome this obstacle.

Overall, my volunteering journey with CDA has been a fantastic experience as I have met so many new people. I have enjoyed working with both the volunteers and the clients that I have met as they have been incredibly kind and supportive people. I believe everybody should have the opportunity to learn British Sign Language as it is an amazing skill. I am now studying at university, to be a teacher, and I believe that the skills that I have learnt from Cambridgeshire Deaf Association will be valuable in my studies and beyond.

I would recommend learning BSL and volunteering with CDA for anyone who wishes to learn an invaluable skill, to boost their confidence, and to meet new people.