UK Audiologists on a mission in Armenia

The twelve business owners and audiologists have taken time out of their practices across the United Kingdom to join seven Starkey UK employees in travelling 2,400 miles to Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. They have joined up with the Starkey Foundation team, including Bill and Tani Austin, to help more than 1,700 Armenians; they are fitting hearing instruments, counselling and providing aftercare, working closely with a local team.

This mission is the second phase of the project for Starkey and its partners who travelled to Yerevan in June to carry out hearing screening and take ear impressions of the people who were identified for support – the ones most in need of better hearing.

Roger Lewin, Managing Director at Starkey, who took part in phase one and is currently in Yerevan said the mission had been one of the most worthwhile things he had ever been involved in: “Meeting the people of Yerevan and those trying to help them on the ground was a truly humbling and inspiring experience. We have been really looking forward to this next stage where we will be able to actually fit the devices and ‘gift’ better hearing to people who really need it.”

It is the first time a UK team has fitted devices in an overseas mission as part of the worldwide Starkey Foundation initiative, which has provided over 1.9million hearing devices in more than 100 countries. The UK hearing aid dispensers currently giving their time to help in Armenia are: Ian Croston from Nuear at Crostons; Lee Fletcher from Regain Hearing; Lindsay Fletcher from Regain Hearing; Bryan Tiller from All Ears Hearing; James Owen from Owen Hearing; Paula Cook from Aston Hearing; Alison Ridgway from Ridgways Hearing; Ailbhe Lennon from Advance Blackrock; John Samphier from Hear 365; Julie Ormerod from Hearcentres; Deepak Jagota from Hearing Well; Jakub Wiatr from Malmo Hearing and Rachel Fayans from Audio Medic (Israel).

You can read more about the Hearing Mission here.