04 Dec Contacta’s ‘Jolly Jumpers’ help spread Christmas joy for Demelza Hospice

Sometimes installations really touch the hearts of our team, and our recent work for the children’s charity, Demelza, is one such example.

Demelza delivers extraordinary care to extraordinary children who are facing serious or life-limiting conditions throughout Kent, Southeast London and East Sussex.

The charity contacted RNID in 2023 after a staff member who used a hearing aid mentioned that they were struggling to hear during handovers because of background chatter.

“As a children’s hospice, it is really important that all of our people are able to hear information from both colleagues and the families they are working with,” said Operations Manager, Tim Richards.

As RNID’s installation partners, they referred Tim to us for advice about assistive listening technology that could help.  Contacta sales executive, Avril Mayes, worked with Tim to identify the reception desks in their hospices were the key interaction points where assistive listening systems were needed.

Installations were planned for the charity’s premises in Eltham and Sittingbourne.  Based on photos of the reception areas that Tim provided, our engineers suggested under-the-counter hearing loop systems would be the ideal solution.

Our IL-k200-20-00 was installed at Demelza’s Eltham hospice and an IL-k200-40-00-3 at Sittingbourne’s reception desk, to create clear sound and cut out background noise for staff and visitors who use hearing aids.  Tim and his team have been delighted with the result.

“The addition of a hearing loop ensures that our reception areas are welcoming, accessible, and respectful of every voice,” he said.  “By removing barriers to communication, we strengthen our commitment to equity and empower every person to hear and be heard.”

The job has also given Avril a great deal of satisfaction.

“I love working with charities like Demelza because you can see the impact of hearing loops straight away,” she commented. “Supplying equipment to a place that’s completely focused on caring for and supporting people feels meaningful. In environments where even small moments of conversation matter, making it easier for someone to hear gives them a bit more comfort at a time when they need all the support they can get.”

As a local charity providing a vital service for families, Contacta have decided to raise money for Demelza Hospice Care on Jolly Jumper Day on the 11^th December.

Everyone from office staff to engineers in the field will be wearing their Christmas jumpers to raise money for the charity.

Our staff will also be joining an online presentation on the day by the team at Demelza to understand more about their care.

You can support Demelza too by visiting our JustGiving page to make a donation.