8 November 2023 - Hear This Education Aotearoa New Zealand Incorporated trading as Hear This Education is introducing ourselves to the Aotearoa New Zealand audience to make them aware of our educational programmes which will roll out on a national level to schools and the broader community in 2024.

Hear This Education provides educational programmes about noise-induced hearing loss to schools and communities, so they have the knowledge and tools to protect their hearing for longer.

"Raising awareness of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) is a key driver for Hear This Education. Prevention will always be a better option and education can enable often quite simple steps that will make a difference and empower people to make decisions which will enable them to contribute fully to their community without the impact of a future hearing loss."

Glenda Martin, Co-Chair

Hear This Education is the result of Hearing Education Hawke’s Bay and Hearing Education Canterbury joining forces to spread our message further. Both organisations had been providing the Hear This Programme to schools for several years and due to the current social and economic climate, combining efforts and focusing on national reach was the next logical step.

Noise-induced hearing loss is hearing loss caused by exposure to loud noises. Long gone are the days when hearing loss was something associated with the elderly. With an increasingly busy and noisy world, younger people are experiencing signs of hearing loss at alarming rates. At the World Health Organisation’s Forty-Eighth World Health Assembly they called for Member States to “(4) to consider the setting-up of mechanisms for collaboration with nongovernmental or other organizations for support to, and coordination of, action to prevent hearing impairment at country level”. We are heeding that call for national change.

We are currently taking part in the Generosity Generator 4 crowdfunding campaign which looks to gain support for charities across the country. The campaign runs from 6 November to 17 November, but we are calling for support beyond the campaign by asking people to share the message about the work we do. Our crowdfunding campaign focuses on gaining support to bring the message of prevention to 1000 children. We operate in a financially sustainable manner and all funds will go directly to cover the cost of spreading this message to schools.

Jane Forrest, one of our treasured educators shares her message: “Never have young people loved more to listen music as loud as they can in their car to impress their peers.....where does that sound go? Only one way!! Through to the ear and into the cochlea where all those thousands of microscopic hair bundles get bombarded with the sound vibrations that subsequently will destroy some of those minute hairs that transmit information on sound to the brain. Once they are damaged, they are never replaced!! It is irreversible So bit by bit more are lost until suddenly you realise you cannot hear the music.....you miss what your friends are saying and that sense of isolation and missing out begins.....this is now lifelong.”

People can find us on Givealittle under the Generosity Generator 4 crowdfunding campaign. The link is Empower a 1000 children today so they can protect their hearing. - Givealittle. They can follow us on Facebook under Hear This Education. Our website www.hearinginfo.co.nz tells our story and we encourage everyone to sign up for our newsletter for the latest updates.

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