insideKENT Magazine Issue 44 - November 2015 | Page 149

CHARITY

Kent Charity Profiles
Kent is a very giving county, evidenced by the fact that there are so many Kent-based charities.
Each one offers something different, whether it’s for the countryside, for the wildlife, or for
those who live and work in the area. We spoke to a number of Kentish charities and asked them
to tell us about what they do, and let us know how people can help.

HI KENT
www.hikent.org.uk
Who do you help?
We are HI KENT, the local registered charity
looking after the needs of the 300,000 people
living with hearing loss all over the county.
Established in 1986, we won the Queen’s
Award for Voluntary Service in 2007.
What services do you provide?
We run free hearing aid aftercare clinics all over
the county where people who use NHS hearing
aids can get them cleaned and re-tubed, and
collect new batteries from our fully trained
volunteers. This offers a free, local, easy-toaccess service to enable hearing aids to be
well maintained and therefore work efficiently
for the wearer.
We have 32 free weekly lipreading classes
throughout Kent, all taught by qualified tutors
in a friendly, relaxed environment. Learning
this new skill can make such a difference to
a person living with a hearing loss, helping to
restore the art of conversation and improving
the confidence that is so often lost. We also
run British Sign Language classes and deaf
awareness classes.
We have monthly tinnitus support groups, held
in Pembury, Maidstone and Ashford. Once

again free of charge, offering a chance for
people living with tinnitus to share experiences
and coping strategies, and listen to talks by
qualified professionals.
We have an extensive range of specialist
equipment to help people with their hearing
loss and this