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Annual Report and Financial Statements 2 Annual Report and Financial Statements 2016–17 Deafness affects us all Janine first started losing her hearing when she was 18 and now has a severe to profound hearing loss. “It can’t be emphasised enough that deafness isn’t just about old people. It affects one in six of us, and if it’s not you, then it’s going to be somebody you live with or know. So, we have to be well informed, we have to be kind and we have to be considerate. “We all need somebody to point us in the right direction, and that’s what Action on Hearing Loss is dedicated to doing. “When I think about the possibility of one day having 100% hearing again, I get very emotional. I would be able to communicate with everyone again.” We are Action on Hearing Loss In the UK, one in six of us We help people who are has hearing loss. That’s confronting deafness, more than 11 million people, a number that will tinnitus and hearing loss to increase as the population live the life they choose. We ages. We estimate that, by 2035, more than 15.6 enable them to take control million people will have of their lives and remove hearing loss.. the barriers in their way. We provide people with People who are severely or support and care, develop profoundly deaf are four technology and treatments, times more likely to be Over 6 million people and campaign for equality. unemployed than the general – that’s one in 10 of us – population. This is often as are living with tinnitus – Deafness, tinnitus and a result of public attitudes hearing loss are all ‘invisible towards deafness and a lack incessant buzzing, ringing, conditions’, so their impact is of awareness. whistling or banging in often underestimated. Yet there are so many ways one ear, both ears or in Being able to communicate that we can bring about the head. Research has with people and feeling part radical improvements in shown that, for some of a community is such an the quality of life for people important part of life. People with deafness, tinnitus and people, tinnitus can lead with deafness, tinnitus and hearing loss – for example, to depression, anxiety, hearing loss can often feel information and advice, peer stress and sleep problems. isolated and cut off from networks, technology and everyday life. communication support. We believe everyone should have choice and control over how they live their lives. 08 10 15 18 46 Welcome to our Key Trustees’ Strategic Achievements Our future Annual Report Achievements Report Report and performance: plans and Financial Progress against Statements for our strategy 2016–17 48 54 60 66 68 Financial Risks and Structure, Statement Independent Financial review uncertainties governance and of Trustees’ Auditors’ Report Statements management responsibilities 116 How can we help each other? Contents The Board of Trustees of Action on Hearing Loss presents its Annual Report and audited Financial Statements for the year ending 31 March 2017. These comply with the Companies Act 2006, Action on Hearing Loss’s governing document and the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) – Accounting and Reporting by Charities (2015). Details of our Trustees, professional advisors, and legal and administrative details are included on pages 60–65. 8 Annual Report and Financial Statements 2016–17 actiononhearingloss.org.uk 9 The year ahead conditions and their experiences of the health Welcome to our Annual Report and and social care system. With this vital evidence, we can represent this vulnerable group of While the external environment for charities people effectively. Financial Statements for 2016–17 remains a key challenge, we’ll keep striving to do more for people with deafness, tinnitus and We’ll continue to fund biomedical research, to Over 11 million people in the UK have hearing Technology can be a vital lifeline, connecting hearing loss. make the scientific discoveries that can lead to loss and one in 10 of us have tinnitus. This is a people to services and entertainment, and in effective treatments for tinnitus and hearing major health, economic and social issue that combating social isolation. As we move into the final year of our 2013–18 loss. We’ll work with manufacturers and experts government, businesses and the general public strategy, Taking Action, we’ll focus on to develop new technologies and offer digital simply cannot ignore. Our vision is to develop treatments to protect extending our reach to more people in more solutions to the people who face barriers in and restore hearing and silence tinnitus, and one communities. We’ll provide older people with everyday life because of deafness, tinnitus and This has been another year of successes and day discover cures for those who want them. To vital information through our new Hear to Inform hearing loss. challenges. Government cuts to health and bring us closer to that goal, in the past year we and Connect project and provide support to social care have threatened the availability of invested £1.7 million in biomedical research. local organisations so their services are more We’ll also continue to campaign for equality – in free hearing aids. This year, we successfully accessible to people with hearing loss. the workplace, when accessing healthcare, when persuaded all three NHS Clinical Commissioning In February 2017, thanks to our brilliant enjoying entertainment at home, or accessing Groups (CCGs) who considered making cuts to campaigners and supporters, we changed the GPs are often a major barrier to people culture through cinema and theatre, and in noisy continue to provide hearing aids to those who law on subtitling. The Digital Economy Act addressing their hearing loss. To understand cafes, bars and restaurants. need them. In North Staffordshire, where cuts requires all broadcasters to provide minimum why and find ways to change that, we will pilot have been made, we’ve been working to show levels of subtitles for all on-demand services. a GP project on the Isle of Wight that aims to Of course, this all takes money. That’s why we the CCG the impact this is having on people This means that people with deafness and improve referral rates to audiology for people will work harder than ever to raise funds, and to with hearing loss. hearing loss will be able to watch television, who suspect they have hearing loss. give people supporting our charity a rewarding however and wherever they want to, without and positive experience. Above all, we’ll use Last year, the John Townsend Trust in Kent went being excluded. We’ll run focus groups to understand further your generous donations to improve the lives of into administration. Its adult care and support the needs of people who are deaf with multiple people with deafness, tinnitus and hearing loss. services for people who are profoundly deaf We also launched our Working for Change with additional needs faced imminent closure. campaign and published our report Improving We purchased five properties and took over the attitudes to hearing loss in the workplace. Its running of these services, enabling vulnerable aims are to help employers feel confident about people to stay in their homes and continue to recruiting people with hearing loss, and to Thank you receive the support they need. overcome common myths about hearing loss We want to say a very big ‘thank you’ to our staff, volunteers, members and supporters and employment. for everything you’ve done for people with deafness, tinnitus and hearing loss. You are at the heart of our organisation, and we’re incredibly grateful for everything you do. We provided high-quality, person-centred care and support services to more people who are It’s been a year of mixed success for our We, and the Board of Trustees, hope you continue to feel inspired by the work we do to deaf with additional needs than ever before. Commercial Services. We sold more than take action and keep supporting our cause. 88,000 products to people who are deaf, In December 2016, we were proud to launch have tinnitus or hearing loss. We transformed our Technology Initiative for Hearing Loss, our professional services for employers to with HRH The Duke of York in attendance. It provide improved solutions and training. Our aims to support the innovation, development communication support business remains and take-up of technology to help people financially challenging, but with more confronting deafness, tinnitus and hearing loss. than 16,000 communication assignments coordinated, we continue to deliver huge social impact for British Sign Language users and Paul Breckell, John Morgan, Chief Executive Chairman those who need communication support. people used our Hearing Check 10 Annual Report and Financial Statements 2016–17 actiononhearingloss.org.uk 11 We supported 102 projects to increase research capacity, We Subtitle it! Whatever we watch make scientific discoveries and develop new treatments supported However we watch it We successfully convinced 90% of people who over the government to amend use our Hear to Help the Digital Economy 121,000 Act 2017, requiring service say that there people broadcasters to provide had been some or a minimum levels of subtitles 72,542 big improvement in Over 1,000 people people used our their daily life since helped us campaign, attending the hearing Hearing Check calling on the We persuaded a aid drop-in restaurant industry further 3 Clinical to reduce levels of The drop-in Commissioning session is very useful We helped background noise We gave care and Groups (CCGs) in to me. I can pick more than support to more England to carry up batteries there, 30,000 people Our befriending service get tubing replaced helped over 1,700 people than 550 people with hearing aids get on providing and talk to people who are deaf with who understand the most from them 89% of people attending free hearing aids, additional needs, hearing loss issues.