Lions Clubs International
are collecting spare Audiology equipment to pass on to emerging nations.

They need:

Unwanted aids of any type, even if they require repairing Ancillary hearing equipment Serviceable batteries

LIONS MISSION STATEMENT / OBJECTIVES

Our primary aim is to collect and redistribute all spare, unwanted and surplus hearing aids, ancillary hearing equipment and serviceable batteries. In the majority of cases redistribution will be to emerging nations but cases have occurred where there is a need in developed countries.

The Story So Far.
The idea of collecting old and unwanted hearing aids came during a working visit to Zimbabwe in 1989. I was asked if I could find some for the Lions Club of Gweru who were trying to help some children in a local deaf school. I was then in the Lions Club of Cambridge and we recruited the help of local hearing consultant, Christopher Carr. He helped so much the Club voted him a Melvin Jones Fellowship, the highest honour that Lions Clubs International can confer.

Soon we found that more requests were coming in and so the scheme developed into an East Anglian project. Christopher Carr supported us from the beginning, checking out and servicing the hearing aids and equipment that had been donated. It was realised from the outset that most hearing aids belonged to the National Health Service but it was felt that we could assist them by handing in to our local hospitals those which were theirs. In fact this works well because we get the obsolete ones back again.

I retired and returned to my home town of Hastings in 1996 and transferred to the Lions Club of Hastings. I was then asked if I would become the Lions Project Leader, Used Hearing Equipment. This I was delighted to do, although for two years I was limited for spare time. Since then successive Speech Hearing Officers have asked me to carry on and each year we have doubled the number of hearing aids sent overseas. In 2000 we exceeded one thousand.

Some of the countries where we have supplied hearing equipment:
Ecuador, Ethiopia, Syria, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Thailand, Sierra Leone, Azerbaijan, Russia, Romania Gaza, The Philippines, India, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Goa, the old Yugoslavia and the Ukraine.

The Present
The scheme is stretching out nation-wide and we are seeking to recruit the help of more Lions Clubs, private audiologists and hospital audiology departments. We have had tremendous help from organisations outside the Lions family, such as Hearing Concern.
At the latter end of 1999, the Lions Club of Hastings agreed to fund the project on behalf of MD105, initially for £1000. The Council of Lion Governors agreed to Hastings being the co-ordinating club on their behalf.

Wherever possible we try to send out a hearing aid with a printout of the range of the instrument. The audiologists help us tremendously with this. In 2000 we were donated a hearing analyser. Celia Robertson the chief Audiologist at our local Conquest Hospital taught some Hastings Lions Club members how to use it. So now we can do the testing of most aids ourselves.

Two recent stories help to illustrate how we are becoming known. The Hastings president was telephoned by a complete stranger to say that a retired hearing consultant friend of theirs had died. His widow, who had no connection with the Lions movement, had none the less heard that we collect hearing equipment and wished to donate her husband‘s to us. Swansea Lions collected the equipment, comprising two working audiometers and much other useful kit and via a circuitous route it arrived safely in Hastings.

We have built up a close relationship with the Medical Missions, Pacific Rim Group, run by Lion, Dr Hugh Thom in the Philippines. A beautiful engraved scroll was made by the grateful people who received hearing aids from us. It was presented on 29 October 1999 to the local Conquest Hospital audiology department, by way of thanks for the help they have given us, especially Celia Robertson, who checks the awkward aids and gives us so much other support.
Medical Missions also sent us a large framed picture of a mother and child. I had the privilege of presenting it to the Lion Chairman of Governors at our annual conference in 2000. It now hangs in the Lion HQ building in Birmingham.

The Future
Other cases can be illustrated as well as help from Lions and Lions Clubs around the MD. We produce a constantly updated "Highlights" news-sheet to illustrate our activity. Other Lions Clubs are welcome to provide input, which can then be funnelled to the editor of the B & I, Lion magazine and other journals for publicity.

We know that other clubs are "doing their own thing". The West Swindon club were sending hearing aids to South Africa via a reliable source, as is the Birkenhead club through the auspices of Lion, Rick Clutton. The West Exeter club are believed to be doing something similar. Newquay have been doing it for a number of years. This is all splendid stuff and is to be applauded. We feel the efforts must be co-ordinated in order to save un-necessary involvement in the transactions.

If You Want to Join In?
The first thing to say is that there are no hard and fast rules. You may already be collecting spectacles, in which case you can modify the appeal poster to add hearing aids as well.
We have our own posters and you are welcome to modify them as you see fit. Hopefully in the near future we shall have a redesigned poster. (If you have local expertise please submit ideas)

Collection points are many and various:

• Hospital audiology departments
• Private hearing professionals
• Opticians, often have a hearing consultant popping in part time.
• Age Concern or Help the Aged charity shops.
• Doctors' surgeries.
• Lions book stalls.
• Any other bright ideas you may have.

You will not normally be collecting vast piles of equipment, although audiometers, tympanometers and analysers are welcome. If you do find 2000 old hearing aids you may be feted! Usually it is the odd one or two at a time, they all count and the recipients will be chuffed.

At present we have a supply of donated batteries. However, an appeal for funds may be requested in future because the Project keeps growing. If you can find any size 675 or 13 batteries, they are like manna from on high!

If you know of a need for hearing aids overseas and have a reliable way of getting them there, tell us. We would love to help you do your own thing. If you are going on a visit to any of our customer countries, can you take some for us?

Let no hearing equipment in this MD of ours go to waste!

Vic Truluck

 

Home Communication Helpful Tactics Lipreading Information H.C. Romsey Magazine Links Services Help page

 

 

Read Vic's
Annual
Highlights
at
HASTINGS
LIONS
website
on the
Welfare
section