Tsena Butcher tells us about her voluntary roles within the St John Ambulance Service (BSL)

Hi everyone, I’m Tsena and I have a few volunteer roles within St John Ambulance. I’m a Youth Leader, Unit Manager, Event Manager, and a First Aider.

I originally started volunteering back in 2002 and I left in 2005, where I trained up to providing first aid on the ambulances and worked for a just over a year as auxiliary ambulance staff to the NHS provision.
I left when I became pregnant, and my health slipped. I was initially inspired to join through my caring side and a desire to support others when they are experiencing a situation where they need support or help.

I rejoined the service in November 2022 as a Youth Leader and within three months, I became the Unit manager to prevent the unit from closing because there was a shortage of youth leaders/helpers.

Being deaf, communication can be challenging at times. A lot of resources don’t have subtitles, and I know they are currently updating this, but it’s still frustrating.

A lot of first aid involves looking at the person you are caring for, but when receiving instruction, trainers, in my experience, love to walk around the room or turn away.

Through educating them and speaking with them, they are improving and have made things more accessible. If they forget – which is likely to happen as they are only human – I either give them a look or bang on the floor, and they immediately apologise and reposition themselves and repeat what was missed.

This process of advocating for better communication has been a source of personal accomplishment for me.

There isn’t really a typical day when volunteering; every day is different, and I like this aspect. If I’m in public, I’m often signing (using Sign Supported English, SSE) while talking.

Some people will come up to me. and I’ll start educating them on deaf awareness and how they can make a difference. Learning sign language is the ideal goal, but most complain they can’t due to time constraints. So, deaf awareness is the next best thing.

One day I could be volunteering at a school fayre and the others I could be at Duxford air shows or the London marathon.

With the youth role, it’s not just about teaching them first aid; my unit is also learning BSL to make communication easier for me, and they have a real passion for learning. They also learn about life and various aspects of it, from healthy relationships to healthy minds and celebrating differences.

One of the most rewarding aspects of my role is witnessing the growth and development of the youth members. I see them join my unit nervous, shy, and with zero first aid knowledge and then go on to pass courses, go to events, and treat the public with care and compassion.

Seeing them succeed like this and find their voice as well as gaining confidence fills me with immense pride and fulfillment.

I do find the communication side of things challenging although changes are being made all the time and with a little improvement.For instance, more resources are being provided with subtitles, and trainers are being encouraged to maintain eye contact when giving instructions.

However, communication is still a big issue. I get migraines regularly from lip reading and needing to max out my hearing device to work out what is being communicated. This is even more of an issue when out at an event, as you have radios and background noise both from the event and the environment.

In my time off, I prioritize my well-being through activities like sign song and mindfulness. I also enjoy watching TV, especially if I can find a good series with reliable, high-quality translated subtitles. Taking care of myself is crucial to my ability to continue volunteering and making a difference.

I have found that within St John Ambulance members are keen to try and improve all they can. They want to make themselves more accessible, but like all charities, there is red tape.

Volunteering can be very empowering and rewarding. If a deaf person is thinking about volunteering, I would say go for it but be prepared to educate others along your journey.

I’m now working through St John Ambulance’s pathway to become a trainer. I hope to make content and some courses accessible for deaf individuals using our first language, British Sign Language (BSL.)

Specifically, I am advocating for more resources with subtitles, improved communication practices during training sessions, and a greater understanding of the needs of deaf volunteers.

For more information on volunteering with St John Ambulance see here.