Meet ‘Pat’ - the voice at the end of the CHS 24/7 helpline

It is three in the morning. Somewhere in Belgium, there is a person who cannot sleep, who cannot stop worrying and cannot see a way forward. They pick up the phone and a calm, kind voice answers. That voice belongs to "Pat".

Every CHS Helpline volunteer is known simply as “Pat”, and they never usually speak about their work in public.

In a rare interview, one volunteer will speak about their confidential work to the Brussels Women’s Club on 3 November, from 14.00 to 16.00.

After a short welcome from CHS President Jeremy Jennings, a “Pat” will join former BWC president Lilian Eilers for a live interview at the BWC Clubhouse.

This isn't a lecture, it is a conversation about the 24/7 English-language helpline in which everyone is invited to participate.

Questions raised will include: How do you become a helpline volunteer and what drives you? Are night-time calls different from daytime ones? And how do you put the phone down after a difficult call and get ready for the next one?

After the talk, there’s tea, coffee and cake, which are included in the entrance fee (€15 non-members, €10 BWC members). As seats are limited, registration closes on Friday 30 October.

CHS Helpline

Since 1971, the Community Help Service (CHS) in Brussels has provided a 24-hour helpline in English. While once its team of volunteers answered questions predominantly about practical issues, it is now increasingly a crisis service for people in distress.

The Helpline has also moved away from being focused on Anglophone expats in the Brussels bubble to serving Belgians and internationals who have settled in the country.

Whatever their problem, callers to the Helpline are provided with emotional support and/or general information on an anonymous and confidential basis. 

The Helpline is answered by trained volunteers who listen without judgement to callers of all ages. These volunteers have so far spent nearly 1,400 hours listening to callers in 2026, twice as many hours as in 2022.

While the majority of its callers do not express suicidal thoughts, the Helpline saw a 5-6% rise in such calls in 2025.

CHS Behind the Scenes: Talk & Tea
3 November, 14.00-16.00
Brussels Women’s Club
Rue au Bois 509
Woluwe-Saint-Pierre

Photo: Illustration only