Issue 62 AUTUMN 2020 £1.75 when sold The magazine from Hearing Dogs for Deaf People Harley is my soulmate How hearing dog FEEL Harley’s love helped Mary escape her GOOD ‘silent bubble’ ISSUE Good news, inspiring stories and lots of cute pups to make you smile PAWS FOR COFFEE WITH TV’S DR RANJ Rising to the challenge of PLUS lockdown We celebrate our key Our amazing volunteers get creative worker superheroes! while training our pups from home IT’S BACK! Enjoy a fun-filled sponsored walk with your furry friend AUTUMN 2020* walks across the uk Sign up today at: hearingdogs.org.uk/greatbritishdogwalk Kindly supported by *All events subject to change due to Government guidance. Please check our website for updates. Contents Autumn 2020 08 SUPERHERO VOLUNTEERS Read about the 10 amazing key workers who rallied to help on page 20. Regulars 04 Newshound Welcome! Life during lockdown, the Helpdesk, appeal I sincerely hope that you, and all those close updates, Little Grange, social media and more to you, have remained safe and well during 08 Overcoming isolation – Appeal these very strange times. The Coronavirus crisis Once, Mary Gosling couldn’t see a future. With meant that we had to change the way we work hearing dog Harley’s help, she’s gained the so we could continue to help deaf people. This strength to co-found the British Cockapoo Society was quite a challenge, and we could not have 10 Training our dogs managed without your help. You can read Our fabulous volunteers employed some wonderful about this amazing collective effort throughout and quirky ways to keep training our dogs this issue, as well as all the fun and games our 16 Fundraising adorable dogs have been up to. Make sure to The corporate partners who continue to support read on page 6 how the Richard Herrington appeal went (hint: us and inspiring 2.6 challenge stories brilliantly!), and see how Jill Hipson managed during lockdown 24 Ask the experts with the help of hearing dog Kit, on page 18. We also have a Director of Hearing Loss Services Angie Platten fantastic ‘Paws for Coffee’ interview with Dr Ranj Singh. I hope offers suggestions to make life easier for those experiencing hearing loss this issue gives you many reasons to smile. Fondest wishes, Michele Jennings Chief Executive of Hearing Dogs 26 Paws for coffee TV’s Dr Ranj on using sign language on Strictly and his admiration for our frontline workers magazine is named after Hearing Dogs’ very first dog, Favour. Features 18 Awareness Hearing Dogs for Deaf People Royal Patron The Grange, Wycombe Road, HRH The Princess Royal Jill Hipson’s insights into the challenges and Saunderton, Princes Risborough, Registered charity in England solutions for deaf people during lockdown HP27 9NS and Wales no. 293358 and T 01844 348100 Scotland no. SC040486 Useful contact details 22 Lasting legacy Text relay 18001 01844 348100 Fundraising: 01844 348109 Read how Sylvia and Alan Sturges so kindly (for deaf and hard of hearing) Member of UK Council on Volunteering: 01844 348122 came to decide to leave a gift in their Wills to E [email protected] Deafness, Assistance Dogs (UK), Media enquiries: 01844 348137 Hearing Dogs hearingdogs.org.uk Assistance Dogs Europe and Cover photo Reyes and Peppa Assistance Dogs International 14 Puppy sponsorship by Paul Wilkinson Clare Newbegin tells us about her life-changing Articles and features: printed in Favour are not necessarily the views of the Charity hearing dog, and graduate sponsor pup, Molly but are the views expressed by the writers. We welcome your comments. NEXT ISSUE Look out for the Advertisements: Hearing Dogs for Deaf People cannot be liable to any person for loss 20 Volunteering or damage incurred or suffered as a result of his/her accepting or offering to accept next issue in We salute the key workers who continued to goods or services contained in any advertisement reproduced in Favour. Readers should Spring 2021 make appropriate enquiries before incurring any expense or contractual obligation. support us and our dogs during lockdown Produced by: Jo Evernden Graphic Design joevernden.com hearingdogs.org.uk Autumn 2020 FAVOUR 3 Newshound The pawfect place to find all the latest good news and appeal updates. We sniff out the stories that matter to you... Sandy and sponsor puppy Gwen during a virtual training session THE HELPDESK IS HERE FOR YOU During lockdown, when people most needed our help, we were sadly not able to continue providing all of our services, TRAINING such as our local and national one-on-one and group support programmes. This was quite How we adapted to continue simply because of lockdown and then social distancing. However, we want you to helping deaf people know that our online helpdesk remains very much open gainst a backdrop of organisations that can puppies at vital stages in and ready to support you, no lockdown and social help with delivering food their journey, trainers and matter what else is going on in A distancing, we have or essentials. volunteers have worked the world. completely transformed the New placements had together brilliantly, as a It is staffed by volunteer way we work. to halt temporarily, as the seamless team. They have responders, most of whom First and foremost, we process requires trainers and embraced innovations such have personal experience of hearing loss. They genuinely have continued to help our partners to spend a lot of as one-to-one video calls, understand your challenges deaf partners, many of time together, often in the virtual puppy classes, fun and can offer information, whom are feeling even more partner’s home. However, and informative Dog Club guidance and support. If you vulnerable or isolated than as restrictions have eased, Live training sessions and have questions for yourself, ever. For example, we have we have slowly been able our online support hub called or want to help someone else made calls or sent emails to start this again and help – of course – the Pawtal. with hearing loss – or just on their behalf, provided even more deaf people Our volunteers have also need someone to talk to – the guidance and advice on start a new life with their come up with innovative helpdesk is your next step. Just ways to keep their hearing hearing dogs. (and often quirky!) solutions, visit hearinglink.org/helpdesk dogs mentally and physically Meanwhile, training has which you can read more for more information. stimulated, and researched continued apace. With 550 about on page 10. 4 FAVOUR Autumn 2020 hearingdogs.org.uk NEWS SUPPORT Nearly 3,000 people helped by deaf awareness offer ith so many people wearing loss’ or ‘I’m a lipreader, please face Services for Hearing Dogs, explains further: face coverings and masks in me’. This let people know the wearer “Wearing face masks has been a very Wpublic during social distancing, has communication needs, simply and sensible precaution to reduce the spread deaf people who rely on lipreading have effectively and without having to try and of Coronavirus. However, this precaution been facing more communication barriers explain, which can often be difficult. had the unintended consequence of than ever. This has particularly been so Gillian Cornell, from Norfolk, is one increasing communication barriers for when visiting or working in essential places of many who benefited from the offer. anyone who relies on lipreading, making such as hospitals, supermarkets and banks. Gillian told us, “When I applied for my free things much harder for them. In response to this, we ran an offer on communication aid, little did I know how “We recognised that people were our social media pages, in which we gave immediately I was going to need it. The struggling with this and knew we could away a deaf awareness communication day after it arrived, I was taken to A&E and help by giving away as many of our deaf card, pin badge or wristband. This was the communication card proved immensely awareness products as we could, to make completely free of charge to anyone who useful in getting staff to properly speak up things easier for people.” needed one. As a result, almost 3,000 so I could hear.” The offer has now ended, but our people received a free product and are now Gillian’s experience is just one example of deaf awareness products are available benefiting from them. how these products helped people navigate to buy in the Hearing Link online shop at Each product featured a printed a time of increased communication barriers. shop.hearinglink.org message, such as ‘I have a hearing Angie Platten, Director of Hearing Loss Joanna Jones appeal update t the time of writing, Joanna’s disorder placed Joanna in the ‘vulnerable’ appeal has raised nearly £30,000, group so she had to self-isolate. A from over 700 generous Favour While Joanna said lockdown triggered readers. This will help us train more life- frustrations and worry, Marshall gave her changing – or, in Joanna’s case, even life- a reason to smile. She told us: “Before the saving – hearing dogs. lockdown, I did wonder why a dog can get Joanna had suffered increasing deafness so excited by anyone walking past the front and tinnitus, along with declining mental window. Then I found out – it was exciting health, for many years. She felt cut off to see signs of life! Marshall accepted the from the world. At her lowest point she new normal and made the best of it, which even considered ending her own life. was very inspiring.” Now, Marshall helps Joanna by alerting Joanna continued, “I just love him to bits.