AFTER almost two years of making Swindon more accessible to those with hearing difficulties, volunteers at Let’s Loop Swindon are starting to see their hard work pay off.

The community project was established to improve both awareness and the provision of hearing loops in the town.

Since it was formed in the summer of 2014 the small group of Swindon volunteers has surveyed more than 400 premises including pharmacies, supermarkets, council premises, banks and building societies, doctors’ surgeries, the outlet and Brunel shopping centres, community centres, and department stores.

Working with the Great Western Hospital has led to the production of a newsletter for the audiology department’s 3000-plus clients, and the training of the department’s volunteers.

Now other groups around the country are coming to the Swindon group for best practice tips in the wake of their successes.

Steve Aftelak, a volunteer with the group, said: “Let’s Loop Swindon are being seen as a premier example of how to run a hearing loop campaign across the whole country. From the importance of having the support of a steering group of professionals using their wealth of experience to guide the group, to providing guidance on how to run a campaign of hearing loop audits, Swindon experience is being sought by a growing group of Let’s Loop groups locally and indeed nationally.”

The group is organised by the Rotary Community Corps, working in partnership with the charity Hearing Link and is supported by Voluntary Action Swindon, Swindon Borough Council, Swindon Equalities Coalition, the Zurich Community Trust, SEQOL, and the National Trust. They have also received the support of North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson who wrote to leading retail chains urging them to improve loop provision, which has led to a pilot project with a leading pharmacy chain who are looking to improve hearing loop availability by determining where they are most valuable.

A project with New College students saw the creation of a video to highlight the cause.

Steve added that after nearly two years it was good to both look back at what has been achieved and forward to what was yet to come.

“In the immediate future, Let’s Loop Swindon are finalising a survey of the town’s larger hotels and are working closely with the management of the Brunel Centre, with the aim of making the Brunel Centre a champion for hearing loop provision locally,” he said.

“Looking further forward, as well as continuing to survey loop provision, it is clear that loop provision is just one aspect of a whole host of measures which together improve the lot of the hard of hearing, so Hearing Link who set up the ‘Let’s Loop’ Initiative are broadening the scope of the work to awareness of and access to good hearing, whilst countering any stigma associated with wearing hearing aids.

“Most importantly, none of what has been achieved could have happened without a dedicated group of volunteers willing to offer just a half day a month to help. So, whether or not you are hard of hearing, if you are enthused by the prospect of working with a group that achieves much and has fun in the process then please do contact Let’s Loop Swindon and enquire about volunteering."

For more information about volunteering, contact Tim Mason on tim.mason@1100rotaryeclub.org or call Steve on 01793 536815.