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Information, News and Resources

We are pleased to provide helpful insights and information relating to hearing loss, and to signpost to other websites and organisations who may offer other services to help individuals, their family and friends dealing with hearing loss.  Whilst we cannot be responsible for all information shared by other organisations, to the best of our knowledge, anything shared on our site is accurate. 

Click on the links below to access news, information, and helpful resources

  • www.annachaplaincy.org.uk

    Anna Chaplaincy supports older people emotionally and spiritually. Anna Chaplains are community-based, offering such support to older people in residential care, congregations, in their own homes and in the community at large. We aim to promote the spiritual welfare of all older people, irrespective of someone’s professed faith or not.

    Inspired by the widow Anna who appears with Simeon in St Luke’s gospel – both good role models of faithful older people- it began in Alton, Hampshire. Broadcaster Debbie Thrower was appointed the first such Chaplain for Older People. Chaplains offer spiritual and emotional care to people of strong, little or no faith at all. Originally the result of a covenant-signing between Anglicans and Methodists, there are now Anna Chaplains from across the denominations: Catholics, Baptists, URC, Free Evangelical Churches, as well as Anglicans, Methodists and others have joined in developing this community-based way of supporting older people and their carers. It has grown dramatically since becoming part of The Bible Reading Fellowship, (BRF) in 2014. Just as with BRF’s Messy Church that’s enjoyed phenomenal growth, BRF is the home of Anna Chaplaincy; it supports, resources and enables its work.

    At the heart of Anna Chaplaincy for Older People is a growing network of Anna Chaplains based in urban, suburban and rural settings across the country. To date 1 there are 167 Anna Chaplains (and others in equivalent roles in ministry among older people) in the Anna Chaplaincy network in the South-East, South-West and other Home Counties, in Scotland, Wales, Northumberland, Cumbria and the Midlands.

  • (Association of Teachers of Lipreading to Adults) https://atlalipreading.org.uk

  • BID is a charity that provides specialist support services for those with a hearing loss  http://www.bid.org.uk

  • e.g. to alert people to the door and phone, amplifiers for TV and phone, alarm clocks etc. Deaf and hard of hearing people can also apply for VAT exemption on many of these items.

    Connevans www.rnidconnevans.co.uk

    DeafEquipment www.deafequipment.co.uk

    Living Made Easy www.livingmadeeasy.org.uk

    RNID (formerly Action on Hearing Loss) www.rnid.org.uk

  • LipReader | Expert Lipreading Services | The Cochlear Community

    https://lipreader.co.uk/

  • Hello Church www.hellochurch.co.uk This community group seeks to raise awareness among churches in East Sussex of issues experienced by Christians who are British Sign Language Users, lip readers and those with hearing loss

    East Sussex Hearing Resource Centre www.eshrc.org.uk This is a registered charity aiming to improve the quality of life for Deaf, deafened, deafblind and hard of hearing people living in East Sussex

  • The Church of England streams a service each Sunday at 9am with subtitles and a BSL interpreter.

    Mark Smith’s YouTube channel always has a Sunday offering, accessible to hearing and Deaf people as it is signed and captioned.

    Word of Hands (Birmingham) have a short act of worship with sermon each Sunday.

    Watch out also for their excellent children’s videos under the name of “Lighthouse Kids”

    Metropolitan Tabernacle has a Deaf Ministry page on Facebook where you can see interpreted sermons and talks

    The Catholic Deaf Association offers a signed mass each week on their YouTube channel.

    https://www.youtube.com/@catholicdeafassociationuk4022

  • RNID (formerly Action on Hearing Loss) www.rnid.org.uk

    Hearing Link www.hearinglink.org

    National Association for Deafened People www.nadp.org

  • Enter your Facebook account and then search for ‘Open Ears Fellowship Group‘ and then request to join.

  • Lions Clubs International www.lionsclubs.org

    Sound Seekers www.sound-seekers.org.uk

    The Hearing Care Centre Recycling Scheme

    www.hearingcarecentre.co.uk

  • The BSL Church Worship Group on Facebook and YouTube is still the best resource for information about what’s on. Each Sunday, a group of Church leaders take it in turns to present a service in BSL.

  • Many Churches are now making their streamed services accessible by including BSL/English interpreters and/or subtitles. Below is the list as currently known.

    Do check. Times may change.

    Kings Church London In person BSL interpreted services are held every Sunday except the first Sunday of the month at 9.30 a.m. at the Lee site. A service led by Deaf people is held on the first Sunday of the month, except January and August, at 10.30 a.m., also at the Lee site. Talks from the main services are on the website. A closed captions and BSL interpreted option is available.

    Merland Rise Church, Tadworth (10.30am)

    Rising Brook Baptist Church Stafford: (10.30am)

    Bromley Town Church (10am)

    Wood Green Church, Worcester (10.30am)

    Kerith Community Church (9.30am)

    Bilton Evangelical Church (10.30am)

    Belfast Christian Fellowship Church (10.00am)

    Derby Vineyard (You can select Facebook or YouTube) (10.30am)

    St Matthew’s Church, Walsall (10.00am)

    Bridgewater Baptist Church Eccles

    Holy Trinity Brompton: HTB at home

    Emmanuel Bristol

What we do

Open Ears offers a range of support and advice both to individuals facing the challenges of living with impaired hearing and to friends, families, and supporters of people with hearing loss.

Our support includes friendship, pastoral care, prayer, practical advice, opportunities to attend events, training, information on hearing loss, resources, and links to useful websites.

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