After 48 years of handwritten diaries and paper records, the Totnes Natural Health Centre has entered the digital age — guided by an extraordinary team of volunteers who prove that learning, service and community spirit have no age limit.

Founded in 1978, the centre introduced its first computer system in December 2025, alongside online booking, a therapist booking app, and new digital communication tools including Microsoft Teams and WhatsApp.

At the heart of the transition is the centre’s reception team of 10 volunteers, with an average age of 76, all of whom learned the new systems after decades of working entirely on paper. For nearly half a century, the reception desk relied on handwritten appointment books, physical records and personal phone calls — powered entirely by volunteer commitment.

“This has been a huge change for us,” said a spokesperson for the Totnes Natural Health Centre. “Our reception team are all volunteers who have given years — in some cases decades — of their time to the centre. Watching them approach new technology with determination, humour and mutual support has been genuinely inspiring.”

The move to digital systems was driven by a desire to improve accessibility for clients and coordination for therapists, while preserving the calm, personal and human approach the centre is known for.

The milestone was celebrated at the centre’s Christmas party, where one of the volunteer receptionists wrote and performed a poem to commemorate the change — capturing both the challenge and joy of embracing new technology later in life. The volunteers described the moment as funny, moving and deeply reflective of the centre’s community spirit.

Clients can now book appointments online as well as our normal method of over the phone or in person while still being greeted by familiar voices on the phone — a balance that long-standing visitors say feels reassuring rather than disruptive.

As the Totnes Natural Health Centre approaches its 50th anniversary, the moment stands as a powerful reminder of the role volunteers play at the heart of community wellbeing services — and that progress, when rooted in care, patience and people, is something worth celebrating.