Hear Here provides a warm welcome and free practical support to those wearing hearing aids.
Fully trained volunteers provide hearing aid maintenance and advice at clinics held in church or community buildings in local areas across the diocese.
“In the last 10 years that the Busbridge (now Godalming Minster) Hearing Aid Clinic has been in operation, it has received 1228 visits, distributed more than 2000 packs of batteries and retubed 1624 hearing aids.” Shares Penny Naylor, Senior’s Ministry Lead at Godalming Minister.
The Hear Here project is run by the Diocese of Guildford in partnership with Sight for Surrey and the NHS, to ensure its visitors get the support they need.
Clinics, like the one in Godalming Minster, offer a lifeline for many hearing aid wearers and help relieve some of the strain on the NHS.
NHS Audiology staff train the voluntary Hearing Champions to offer a range of services, including:
- Checking the hearing aid is working properly
- Re-tubing, ear mould cleaning and battery replacement
- Checking the fitting of the hearing aid in the ear
- Advice on maintenance and cleaning of the hearing aid
- Advice and support on making the most of the hearing aid
- Information and signposting to other services and useful equipment
Some of the services are dependent on the resources available in the area, but the Hear Here services are free and available to all ‘behind the ear’ NHS hearing aid users.
As well as being trained to offer practical hearing aid support, volunteers also receive safeguarding training, with some services being able to run clinics in care homes and undertake the occasional home visit for those unable to get to the clinics.
The Hearing Aid Clinics are ever-expanding. There are currently 46 clinics run across the diocese with a further 8 planned to open this year. A full list of clinics can be found here.
You can find out more about Hear Here, including how to start a clinic in your local area or become a Hearing Champion, by visiting the Hear Here webpage.
Hear Here is also looking for a new Project Lead (closing date is 5 May) to continue its development and support the clinics and its Hearing Champions. The role is flexible and would be perfect for someone looking to fit it around other weekly commitments. Find out more on our Vacancies page.