Volunteer of the Month - October 2024 - Diane Rickwood

Living just ten minutes away from our main training centre in Buckinghamshire, dog lover Diane Rickwood was destined to join the volunteer family at Hearing Dogs for Deaf People as soon as her schedule would allow!

She’d supported our on-site events for a few years; however, it was in the summer of 2016 that she started to become a regular face by volunteering for our Bed & Breakfast scheme. This position required volunteers to be accommodating of a regular weekday schedule, over a number of months, and - much like a parent - it involved dropping off and picking up a trainee dog each day, taking care of them overnight and weekends, including exercising, maintaining training plans, plus any special requests relevant to their health and wellbeing.

Diane embraced this role without hesitation, and very quickly became a go-to name for both full-time trainees and holiday cover alike.

Despite initially having reservations about Labradors, it wasn’t long before Vogue and Bonnie had weaved their way into Diane’s home, and she’s rarely been ‘dogless’ since! Spaniels have become her passion; however, Diane is one of those priceless volunteers who will consider any mission that’s put to her, and if she can say yes – she will.

Diane’s good nature, competency and proximity to our training site meant she was one of the first volunteers to trial a new role of Training from Home when it was launched as an alternative to Bed & Breakfast. Her insight was invaluable, as was her understanding care and home training of Ziggy, Angus and Solo as they progressed on their journeys.

Diane is known for being thoughtful, kind and unflappable. When Covid-19 suddenly threw our usual operations into unchartered waters, she was a local lifeline – understanding, adaptable and willing to support, however was needed. Training from Home led to Fostering, and since 2023 Diane’s gentle style has been synonymous with nurturing dogs that are under the weather, recovering from surgery or in need of other TLC.

Canine Healthcare and Fostering Coordinator, Rebecca White, says: “Diane has been unbelievably supportive this year. She fostered an older dog that needed health investigations over a number of months, and even tolerated being woken up every night, more than once, to let her toilet. I feel we have asked a lot of Diane, but she’s just so eager to help us out.

She is entirely selfless, always putting the dog in her care before herself. With this particular case, we really don’t know what we would have done without her. She administered medication, drove over for weekly weigh-ins, and kept in regular touch about the various ailments and treatment plans. Despite the sleep deprivation, Diane remained bubbly, helpful and just a delight to be around.”

Adam Moss, Healthcare Coordinator, agrees: "Diane takes on advice and is always willing to go the extra mile. She’s learnt canine physiotherapy techniques to support a dog with elbow dysplasia which caused him to sit oddly. Diane’s hands-on care helped enormously and the dog was able to be placed with a deaf partner, giving a huge amount of confidence and companionship – thanks to Diane.”

Bringing things up to date, Diane has just said goodbye to her most recent foster dog with whom she had a lovely relationship that Jessie Evans, Canine Healthcare Training Manager, enjoyed seeing grow: “Diane has been absolutely invaluable in supporting this particular dog's health and wellbeing. On my drive home from work I regularly spot them on their evening walks. This always makes me smile, the foster dog with its Dumbo-like ears flowing in the breeze, alongside the enthusiastic bounce of Diane's steps. It’s a joy to see.”

Fostering an unwell dog, or one with complex needs, means that we usually ask the volunteers to keep the dog low profile and stress-free whilst they recover. Diane demonstrates an abundance of patience and understanding in this regard, however also joins in with on-site activity when she can and is switched on to the wider needs of the Charity.

Jessica Pluck, Volunteer Applications & Microvolunteering Executive, recounts: “Not only is Diane always a pleasure to chat to, I remember at one Volunteers’ Coffee Afternoon she requested (completely unprompted) more volunteer business cards to top up the stock that she carries with her, so as to always have one to hand to present to any prospective volunteers.

She’s wonderfully personable, easy to talk to and eager to help Hearing Dogs to recruit more fabulous volunteers like herself.”

Sarah Allom, Training Area Manager, sums up: “Put simply, Diane is one of our best volunteers. She has worked wonders with some particularly challenging and emotive cases in order to bring them to the standard required to become working assistance dogs. Diane never fails to give 100% and I’m lucky to have a special connection with her as she has welcomed my demonstration dog into her lovely home for holiday cover. Milo loves her very much. As do we all!”