In March of this year we celebrated 40 years of supporting people with Tinnitus. Over this time the group has helped and supported thousands of people suffering with Tinnitus. The fantastic milestone was lively, celebrated with poems and stories from members as well as contributions from organisations which the group has worked with over the years.
The Celebration
Joanne opened the event by welcoming everyone and continued to compere the celebration by introducing all the speakers and their connection to our group.
Audrey followed by saying “as many of you know, I have been actively engaged in voluntarily running the Tinnitus Support Group for 40 years.
When I first set out to help others who suffer from this condition, I did so out of a sense of necessity. Like many of you, I have tinnitus myself. At the time, I became driven by the nonchalant attitude towards what is so often a misunderstood condition.
For too long, people were frequently dismissed with the words: “There is no cure; go and learn to live with it.” Those words became the catalyst for my passion. I became determined to learn more – to truly understand the condition, to discover how I could manage it for myself, and more importantly, how I could empower others to do the same. Not just to learn to live with it – BUT to thrive despite tinnitus.
Our speakers included John O’Brien CEO of Hearing Help UK, Jodie Rogers, Senior Specialist Audiologist, Chesterfield Royal Hospital and Tim Buckle, Psychological Skills Mentor of Chimp Management. Along with Muriel Lascelles who read her poem, written in 2013 “I have no time for Tinnitus” and Sarah Richards who read her acrostic poem entitled “Celebration”. Sarah also read out Audrey’s poem, written in 2013 “My Tinnitus”.
The group’s longevity is testament to everyone involved especially Audrey and this was reflected in the number of members, past and present supporters and organisations attending the 40 year anniversary celebrations.
