Clive Anderson backs hearing aid donation campaign
Clive Anderson is backing a charity campaign calling for people to donate their unwanted hearing aids, which will be recycled for deaf children in developing countries.
Charity Sound Seekers, which aims to improve the lives of deaf children, has joined forces with Specsavers hearing centres for the appeal. More than 300 hearing centres across the country will host fundraising activities and collect unwanted hearing aids for the charity.
TV and radio presenter Clive said: “The partnership between Specsavers and Sound Seekers is, in every sense, a great way to help deaf children in the developing world. I’m pleased to support it, and hope you can as well.”
Gary Williams, chief executive of Sound Seekers, said: “In the countries we work in, fewer than one in 40 people who could benefit from a hearing aid have one.
“Every single donated hearing aid counts, so we are very grateful to Specsavers for their support.”
Collection bins for donated hearing aids are now permanently located inside all Specsavers hearing centres. It follows the success of a similar scheme for unwanted glasses, already in place with UK charity Vision Aid Overseas (VAO). Since 2003 a quarter of a million glasses have been collected and recycled by Specsavers optical stores for VAO, for use in developing countries.
Richard Holmes, marketing director of Specsavers said: “Sound Seekers provides essential support for children in countries where audiology services are scarce.
“Specsavers stores offer an ideal platform from which to request recycled hearing aids and host fundraising activities for the charity. We are delighted we can offer this level of support to such a worthwhile cause.”
Known in full as Sound Seekers – The Commonwealth Society for the Deaf, the charity works to improve the lives of deaf children and children suffering from ear disease in the developing countries of the Commonwealth by providing specialist equipment, training and support.
For further information on Sound Seekers, please visit www.sound-seekers.org.uk.
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A great idea!
What about children and young adults here in the US? Is it possible we are overlooking a huge problem here by focusing our efforts overseas? My daughter is going deaf, and when I search for local hearing charities, I get advertisements.
I am a US Navy Veteran, I served 4 years, I have 5 children ages 16 – 2. I am now a stay at home mom, because I suffer from seizures. We live with my mother-in-law, who has Parkinson’s. My husband is the only income for a family of 8. We have two children that are Autistic, and one that is a diabetic. We roughly spend over $13,000, that is is no one has a trip to the ER or has to spend any time hospitalized, a year in doctor visits and maintenance medications.
We have health insurance, but there are no by laws in our state that mandate coverage for hearing aids. I have had a moderate hearing loss since birth. Some of my hearing loss has been corrected with having tubes placed in my ears, but I am still in desperate need of hearing aids for both of my ears.
I have been looking since March, when I was told that it would cost us $5,000 for my hearing aids for a way to receive help, but nothing. If my children needed hearing aids, people would stop on a dime to help them. If my mother-in-law needed hearing aids, there are plenty of programs out there to help her.
I have to have my children in eyesight at all times, otherwise, I can not hear them.
I am sure I am not the only person here in the US faced with this situation. Why do people feel the need to reach out and help other countries? Do they not realize that they are turning their backs on their own countrymen?
Thank You Clive Anderson for helping me to be the proud American that I am today.