Zoe Fawcett-Eustace and Lucinda Rose Pallett
East Midlands based independent funeral directors, A.W. Lymn The Family Funeral Service, has continued its support for an organisation that recycles hearing aids by sending them to developing countries – and is urging other funeral firms to follow suit.
The collaboration aims to reduce the number of working hearing aids thrown away, as the number of people who need them internationally continues to increase due to ageing populations and a growing awareness of hearing loss.[1]
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 430 million people need rehabilitation to address disabling hearing loss – of which almost 80 per cent live in low and middle-income countries.[2]
Around 1.5 million NHS and private hearing aids which could still be in working condition are thrown away each year in the UK alone.[3]
The Nottingham headquartered funeral director has been working with Hearing Aid Recycling for almost two years and has collected more than 50 hearing aids for those in need over the last year.
The aim is for those who are using the services of A.W. Lymn to consider donating any hearing aids that are no longer in use.
Managing Director and fifth generation Matthew Lymn Rose said: “As a family business, helping others is something that has and always will be at the core of everything we do.
“While our branches are across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, we remain acutely aware of the issues facing others across the globe and will continue to take opportunities to support those most in need.
“This is one of the ways A.W. Lymn has committed to serving the wider community – whether it be on our doorstep locally or internationally. We’d encourage other Funeral Directors to support this very worthy cause and not only help those in need of hearing aids but also make a contribution towards reducing waste and its impact on our environment.”
A.W. Lymn positions a donation box on the front desk of each of its 27 funeral homes that is then collected regularly by Hearing Aid Recycling.
The hearing aids are then re-purposed, whether it be through reprogramming or responsible recycling which means certain components can be re-used in other hearing aids where possible.
The organisation aims to address hearing loss at all stages of life and has recently been able to send 500 Phonak hearing aids to Malawi in East Africa and 1,000 hearing aids to Kenya Society of Deaf Children to help deaf children in rural areas.
The hearing aids just collected from A.W. Lymn will be sent to Ethiopia and Zimbabwe in March.
Zoe Fawcett-Eustace, Founder of Hearing Aid Recycling, said: “Working with A.W. Lymn has been a complete pleasure and allowed us to have great geographical cover collecting in the East Midlands.
“Donations like these allow us to continue supporting people at all stages of hearing loss and ensure fewer hearing aids are thrown away.”
A.W. Lymn also manages collections of shoes and glasses which are no longer in use. Those interested in donating can visit their closest branch.
[1] Market Insider Group – Global Hearing Aids Market Size, Forecasting Share and Scope for 2023-2030 https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/global-hearing-aids-market-size-forecasting-share/. [2] World Health Organisation (WHO) – Deafness and hearing loss https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss. [3] Hearing Aid Recycling – https://hearingaidrecycling.co.uk/.
