On a wet Thursday evening in February, HELTA members – both familiar faces and newer ones – gathered at Amadeus Restaurant in Barmbek for a cosy social evening. The weather outside may have been damp, but inside the atmosphere was warm, lively, and full of good conversation.

An impressive number of 26 people (more had originally planned to come) attended the IATEFL BESIG Swap Shop organized by HELTA. The goal was to let speakers and attendees of the last BESIG conference in Athens share their experiences with members of HELTA, other ELTAs and even with non-ELTA members. The meeting was quite international in scope, as we had members joining not just from different parts of Germany but also from Great Britain, Denmark, and even Ukraine.

HELTA wrapped up the year in the best possible way: with our Christmas party — and what a lovely evening it was.

On Saturday morning, 15 November 2025, HELTA members gathered at the BSVH (Louis Braille Center) for an in-person workshop that turned out to be one of the most energising and eye-opening sessions we’ve hosted in recent years.