


Current Vacancies
Join us We are currently taking nominations for Trustees and Honorary Officers – Chair, Treasurer and Secretary. Are you interested in one of these
Phone and text: 07537 863927
info@lollipopyork.org.uk
BSL video links
Urgent message: https://bit.ly/2LDge43
Board of Trustees: https://bit.ly/3oLED5S
Special General Meeting: https://bit.ly/3qtZ4Vr
Dear Members,
I hope you are all fit and well in these strange times.
As you are aware, the Trustees have been discussing the future of Lollipop.
These discussions started well before COVID-19 due to a lack of engagement
from members, and because our Lottery funding will end in April.
Discussions have continued, and I had hoped to have some clarity about the wayforward after the Trustees’ meeting held this week. However, due to staff challenges, and the potential resignations of a number of Trustees, discussions have taken a different direction.
At present, because of staff illness and childcare responsibilities we have taken the difficult decision to suspend activities and furlough staff from Monday 18 January – until further notice. Heidi, the Service Manager will
still be working, running the Charity and is available for any queries on the Lollipop mobile 07537 863927 or by email servicemanager@lollipopyork.org.uk
The Trustee board has eight members including the three Officers: Chair, Treasurer and Secretary. Please consider if you, any of your family, or anyone you know with appropriate skills could take on the role of an Officer or Trustee.
If Lollipop is to survive we need to recruit new Trustees who would be willing to take Lollipop forward for the future and take on the Officers’ roles. Trustees meet every two months and are responsible for the overall running of the Charity. Please contact me on the email below if you would like more information.
In light of the important announcement on the previous pages, I’d like to invite you to a Special General Meeting on Zoom on Tuesday 2 March at 7pm. At this meeting we will hopefully be voting prospective Officers and Trustees onto the board…or alternatively, voting to agree the difficult decision to close the Charity.
Names of anyone interested in being an Officer or Trustee will need to be put forward to me by Monday 15th February. These will then be sent out for people to either vote online or at the meeting. Please reply to the Eventbrite invitation you will receive next week. If you can’t make the meeting you will still be able to vote or have your say by email before the meeting by contacting me at the address below.
In the meantime, everyone please keep safe,
Penny McDonald, Chair on behalf of the Trustees
chair@lollipopyork.org.uk
Lollipop offers opportunities for children and young people with any degree of deafness from mild to profound and their families to meet and build friendships with others, with whom they share their experiences of deafness.
Lollipop achieves this through providing regular FREE social activities in a relaxed and informal environment. We offer a wide range of activities in order to provide something of interest to everyone. Through such activities we aim to encourage members to try something new, express themselves freely and realise their true potential and in doing so build confidence, increase self-esteem and develop self-identity. Lollipop also raises awareness of deafness and its implications amongst the wider community.
Membership is FREE to any child or young person aged 0-25, in York and North Yorkshire, with any degree of deafness. Children of deaf adults (CODA) are also welcome to join the Lollipop family.
Read MoreSupport Lollipop by signing up to one of our fundraising events, or set up your own fundraiser to help raise vital funds that can make a difference to our families.
Read MoreVolunteering for Lollipop is both rewarding and fun. Find out how you can make good use of your personal skills to support the charity’s aims of developing children and young people’s confidence, self-esteem and emotional wellbeing.
Read More"Having a mentor increases my son's independence, as he is then not reliant on those close to him in everyday life. He loves going to Lollipop and has made lots of friends there, he definitely has a feeling of belonging to the group which has increased his confidence, self-esteem and improved his social skills." - Parent
"Sitting with a coffee at Lollipop and chatting to other mums is an essential reminder that you are not over anxious, irrational or the ‘only one’."
"I feel that it is essential that my daughter has the opportunity to meet and play with other deaf children on the same level as her hearing friends so that she knows why her hearing loss should not make her feel different or hold her back in any way."
"It has always been a relief and re-assurance to chat to parents going through similar experiences with their children."
"Lollipop ensures we don’t feel isolated and provides a most treasured and valuable life-line for us."
"Lollipop get-togethers are of great benefit to us parents too. We get to know other parents, we can support each other if necessary, have the chance to chat and to pick each other’s brains or ask advice."
"We feel it is absolutely vital that our daughter can see she is not the only child who has to wear hearing aids."
"Thank you for the continued support and opportunities you provide to enable my child to develop and gain valuable advice and experiences to help her in her life."
"My son has felt so welcome and enjoyed making new friends at Lollipop. This is his only contact with other hearing-impaired people and has been a really positive experience for all of us."
"My daughter has enjoyed each experience with Lollipop. Lollipop makes my daughter feel better about wearing her hearing aids."
Lollipop is primarily funded through The National Lottery Community Fund. We are also funded by BBC Children In Need with further support from many local and national organisations. Lollipop recently secured funding from The Henry Smith Charity as part of the Improving Lives project. We are delighted to receive such a generous grant towards three year’s running costs and were very proud of the Grant Officer’s comments following the assessment’.