Hearing dogs join Specsavers staff to charity fundraiser

The dogs, Flash, Kimi, and Bonnie, joined Specsavers Ringwood's audiology practitioner, Paul Bastable, as he cycled tens of miles on a static bike outside the store.

This was part of a series of events organised by Paul to raise funds for the Hearing Dogs for Deaf People charity.

The events included a jump off Portsmouth's Spinnaker and a cake sale.

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Hearing dogs and their owners have helped out (Image: Specsavers Ringwood) Amy Nowik, Ringwood's audiology director, said: "It was such a pleasure to host our canine friends who do such an amazing job for those with hearing loss.

"We are also so happy to have helped raise much-needed funds for the hearing dog’s charity.

"We’d like to thank Paul for organising the event and everyone who donated, gave their time, and supported all our challenges.

"We decided to do several sponsored events to help raise the profile of the charity and highlight the great work it does in the community."

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People train dogs to alert their owners to important and lifesaving sounds they would otherwise miss – such as the smoke alarm, alarm clock, and even a baby's cry.

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Jordan Chamberlain, community fundraising manager at the charity, said: "We are so grateful that the Specsavers Ringwood team have chosen to raise funds for Hearing Dogs this year, and full of admiration for the imaginative ways they have gone about it - some of which were not for the faint-hearted.

"It costs £40,000 to care for and train a hearing dog over the course of their lifetime, so the funds they have raised will be a huge help in allowing us to create more life-changing partnerships in Hampshire.

"Deafness can be a very isolating disability. A hearing dog provides lots of love, companionship, and emotional support. This is important as many of those who come to the charity for help have felt very lonely and isolated.

"Our amazing dogs help deaf children and adults to leave this loneliness behind and reconnect with life."

Over the past four decades, Specsavers has been committed to supporting local charities alongside investing in and staying at the forefront of optical and audiology technology and trends.