Behind the Scenes: Meet Babs, One of Our Volunteers

Many of you subscribe to Later Living Helpline because you’ve seen how quickly care fees can overwhelm a family. What you may not see is the work happening behind the scenes — the volunteers who give their time, experience, and compassion to help others avoid the same struggles.

One of those volunteers is Babs.

Babs is 72 and originally from Yorkshire. She began volunteering with Later Living Helpline after her sister lost everything to care fees. Watching someone so close to her lose her home and security was a moment she never forgot. It made her determined to help other families understand the system before they reached crisis point.

Behind the scenes, Babs supports callers by explaining care‑fee rules, helping them understand what options they have, and offering calm, steady reassurance when everything feels overwhelming. She volunteers on the days she can fit it in, balancing her time between helping families and the things she loves in her own life.

Outside of volunteering, Babs is very much herself. She enjoys walking dogs for the local charity and has two of her own at home who keep her busy and entertained. She brings that same gentle, patient energy to her volunteer work — the kind of person who listens fully, explains clearly, and never rushes anyone who needs support.

Later Living Helpline remains fully independent. Volunteers like Babs give their time because they’ve lived through the impact of care fees and want to help others avoid the same hardship. We simply wanted to introduce one of the caring people behind the scenes who genuinely wants to help families through difficult times.