A History of Open Ears                               

‘Open Ears’ was founded (as the Hard of Hearing Christian Fellowship – HHCF) by a group of concerned Christians in London in 1974. The first Fellowship Weekend was held in 1977, and a national weekend or holiday has taken place every year since then. The first pastoral worker was appointed in the early 1980s and a number of local support groups were formed.

As a Christian charity, members are also concerned about the unmet needs of hard of hearing and deafened people in developing countries. In 1993 the new pastoral worker, Richard Livermore, visited Albania to be involved in aid work, taking 10 used ex-NHS hearing aids to be distributed to the local hospital as a one-off project. The hearing aids were seen by a missionary as an answer to prayer. A new chapter had begun in the history of HHCF, called Hearing Aids Abroad (HAA), later to be known as ‘Open Ears Worldwide’ (OEW).

Richard made several overseas trips for some twenty years after his initial visit, to Albania, Kenya, Niger, Ethiopia and Tatarstan, a Russian Republic.  He distributed thousands of hearing aids along with accessories. Skilled audiologists have worked alongside OEW in deaf schools and churches, helping to train staff there.

However, the switch to digital hearing aid technology has proved a great challenge in terms of advanced computer equipment and skilled personnel being required. Unfortunately, this means that Open Ears can no longer support hearing aid distribution, but information on where to send used hearing aids can be found in the “Links to Information on Hearing Loss” under the “How we can Help” section of the website.

Open Ears contributed funds towards the building and equipping of the “Ear Centre” at International Nepal Fellowship (INF) Green Pastures Hospital in Pokhara, Nepal.

Since 2014 Open Ears has been a member of IVSS-Churchear, a pan-European Christian organisation for hard of hearing people.  Open Ears is also a partner organisation of Churches for All, an umbrella group of organisations representing people with various disabilities, campaigning for access for all to churches and Christian events.

For Open Ears weekend conferences and holidays, there is a loop, a speech-to-text reporter and a BSL interpreter, ensuring full access for all who come. Details of forthcoming events can be found on the Events section of the website.

2020s

  • 2024: 50th Anniversary celebration planned for 15th June at Torch Trust, Market Harborough, Leicestershire.

  • 2023: Christine Pitts, Trustee and Administrator, stepped down from the committee.

  • 2022: Two part-time employees (General Administrator and Social Media Administrator) appointed for an initial one-year term.

  • 2021: First Zoom conference held online. Anthea Owen succeeded Marylin as Chair.

  • 2020: Freelance marketing and social media consultant hired.

2010s

  • 2019: Open Ears became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).

  • 2015: Marylin Kilsby became Chair. New Open Ears website launched.

  • 2014: 40th Anniversary celebrated with two conferences (Brunel Manor, Devon, in June; Hinsley Hall, Leeds, in October). Open Ears also became a member of IVSS Churchear (International Federation for Pastoral Care among Hard of Hearing).

  • 2012: Trustees decided to support the International Nepal Fellowship (INF) with the construction of a new Ear Centre at Green Pastures Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal, until 2022.

  • 2010: Open Ears website set up.

2000s

  • 2009: ‘Breaking New Ground’ conference on digital hearing aid technology organized by OE in Ruislip, attended by Mike Smith (INF) and others.

  • 2008: Don Mason became Chair. Open Ears became a partner of Churches for All.

  • 2003: HHCF renamed to Open Ears with a new logo. Hearing Aids Abroad became Open Ears Worldwide (OEW).

  • 2000: Millennium Holiday at Brunel Manor, Devon (Bert Barritt speaking). Five-day holidays and fellowship weekends alternated annually at various locations—Devon, Norfolk, Warwickshire, Northampton—until 2019.

1990s

  • 1999: Silver Jubilee celebrated at Cold Ash Convent, Newbury.

  • 1990-2000: Young People’s Group led by Miriam Hodkinson.

  • 1990 First Young People's Holiday, Wycliffe Centre, High Wycombe.

  • 1993-2010: Richard Livermore’s international work under Hearing Aids Abroad (later Open Ears Worldwide):

    1993: Albania (also in 2007 and 2009).

    2001: Kenya (with Through the Roof).

    2007, 2010: Ethiopia.

    2008: Tatarstan (with Radstock Ministries).

1980s

  • 1986: St John's College, Nottingham residential.

  • 1984: Tenth anniversary celebrations at Nuneaton Conference Centre (Speaker - Bert Barritt).

  • 1982: First Holiday Conference at Pilgrim Hall, Sussex.

  • 1982: HHCF registered as a charity and "Hotline" Prayer Bulletin started.

  • 1982: Clapham Park Bedford residential.

  • 1982: Don Mason appointed Pastoral Worker until 1994 (when he and Ruth went to Kenya for some years); Richard Livermore succeeded him (1994-2017). House groups set up in London, Reading, Bedford, East Anglia, etc.

  • 1981 Bedford Conference.

1970s

  • 1977: First weekend conference held at Clapham Park, Bedford, and continued there every year until the closure of the convent in 1985. Weekend conferences were then held every year at Nantwich, Malvern, Newbury, Guildford, and other places.

  • 1975: First issue of the quarterly magazine “Hearing Eye”. Ewart Tucker was the first editor, succeeded by Don Mason.

  • 1975: One-day conference at London Bible College, Northwood.

  • Spring 1974: First day event in Rotherhithe, then at All Souls, Langham Place (1975-76).

  • 1974: Hard of Hearing Christian Fellowship (HHCF) founded. Bert Barritt became the first chairman until 1979, succeeded by Paul Lucas.

  • 1973: Initial exploratory meeting in Rotherhithe with Bert Barritt (Deaf Christian Fellowship), Richard Livermore, and others.

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