Over a quarter of a million people in Essex have formally reported some form of hearing loss (there are many more who keep it to themselves), and nationally that amounts to more than 1 in 6 of the population. This is one of the reasons why, when Hearing Help Essex approached Essex Community Foundation for support, we were keen to read their grant application form and, ultimately, give them all the funds they needed.
Our Community Fund grant will allow the charity to deliver a pilot project aimed to provide a safe space for those across central Essex who live with hearing loss to meet, socialise and gain further support. The charity, based in the old Moulsham Mill, has been helping to alleviate the isolation and loneliness that hearing loss can bring since 1986, and this project is the next step in providing a one-stop service to help all aspects of an individual’s life. Working closely with audiology departments in hospitals across Essex, the ECL Sensory community and other charitable organisations, they also work to increase deaf awareness, deliver training and talks to groups, and also supply and instruct how to use home devices and adaptive technology to allow deaf people to live independently.
We met their CEO, Sophie Ede (centre) on a recent visit and were blown away by the amount of very varied assistance they supply, which can include teaching people how to use the latest hearing aids – which require smart phones and Apps to work, counselling services – often for partners and family as much as the individuals concerned, advice for businesses to make them more ‘deaf aware’ and home visits to identify areas where they can improve an individual’s life through adapting existing technology. One individual who benefitted from their help, Mr F in Maldon, said, “The difference that the help and advice I received has made to me is more than I could possibly imagine”.
If you are effected by hearing loss, or a hearing related issue, and would like further advice, visit their website here.
For more groups that our Community Fund have supported, please visit our Community Fund pages here.