£10k lotto joy will allow hearing loss charity to expand in Shropshire

Signal advice service has been awarded the funding from the National Lottery Awards For All pot towards its tinnitus support groups and drop-in sessions.

This grant will enable staff to increase the number of sessions to a total of 32 – in Wellington, Telford and Shrewsbury this year.

This will result in more regular meetings for residents suffering with the condition to talk to a British Tinnitus Association trained volunteer or staff member to get information, advice and support.

In addition quarterly support groups in Telford and Shrewsbury will include guest speakers who will provide insight and information that may help sufferers to deal more positively with their issues. Previous speakers have included NHS Audiology, a sleep therapist and a yoga instructor.

Tinnitus is often related to hearing loss, exposure to loud noises, stress, recurrent ear infections, ear wax and even falls.

Noise

The noise can be described as a buzzing, hissing, ringing, whooshing or even a musical sound which may be continuous.

For around one in 10 people, the tinnitus is persistent and can have a significant impact on the individual’s work, relationships, health and overall quality of life.

Signal’s volunteer and peer support coordinator, Sarah Thomas, has recently taken on the everyday running of the project and said she is excited about the development.

“Tinnitus can be a very debilitating condition that can leave individuals feeling unable to cope with day-to-day life, and in extreme cases even becoming suicidal.

“We are very excited to have been awarded this grant as it will enable us to support more individuals with tinnitus across the county to find techniques to help manage their condition, as well as to meet like-minded people to talk about their experiences with.

“Feedback from Signal’s previous tinnitus support groups has always been overwhelmingly positive with attendees telling us that they feel that our meetings offer them a ‘strategy for everything’,” Ms Thomas said.

Signal’s next drop-in sessions will be on February 6 at the University Centre Shrewsbury, Guildhall, in Shrewsbury, from 10am until midday and at Wellington Library, in Wellington, Telford, from 2.30pm until 4pm.

Team volunteer Fiona Checkley will be available to talk to for tinnitus information, advice and support.

The session is free and all are welcome to drop-in at any time throughout the session. More details are available on 01743 358 356.

Signal last year was also awarded £291,000 from the Big Lottery Reaching Communities.