Volunteer of the year

Volunteer of the Year 2009

This year's annual Volunteer of the Year Awards was presented by TV personality Esther Rantzen at an awards ceremony held at the Vintners' Hall on 6 October.

Esther has presented this award since its inception in memory of her late husband Desmond Wilcox, who was a supporter of Hearing Dogs and who suffered hearing loss himself.

Hearing Dog volunteers have been nominated for their dedication and commitment to the Charity from puppy socialising to fundraising, from dog walking to giving talks. All volunteers are the lifeblood of the Charity, whose contribution to the running of Hearing Dogs is immeasurable.

2009 Winner

Pip Know 

Pip is severely deaf and has been involved with Hearing Dogs for Deaf People since 1992 initially helping out with the local fundraising branch. In 1994 she applied for a hearing dog herself and received Star, a mongrel, in 1995. For the fourteen years that they were a partnership, Pip held regular coffee mornings in her own home once a month to raise money for Hearing Dogs. She always used her own money to buy the goodies so that every penny collected was profit for the Charity. Pip also holds the meetings for the fundraising branch at her home, and prepares a lovely supper for the members free of charge.

 

Pip’s fundraising efforts have raised enough to support a hearing dog through its training, so she has been able to contribute to another deaf person benefiting from having a hearing dog.

 

Every year they were together, Pip would hold a birthday party for Star and all Pip’s and Star’s many friends would attend. Pip and Star were inseparable for 14 years until July this year when Star very sadly passed away at the grand age of 15. It is hoped that in the not too distant future Pip will be able to benefit from another hearing dog.

 

Despite the fact that she is 86 years old herself, until recently Pip used to get the shopping and prepare lunch for a 102-year-old lady, who was so grateful that she would then give a donation to Hearing Dogs as her way of saying thank you. Everyone who knows Pip says that nothing is too much trouble.