Norfolk Deaf Association’s (NDA) Hearing Support Service looks after 10,500 Norfolk residents with NHS supplied hearing aids and is encouraging more people to get in touch and use this free service. More than 124,000 people in Norfolk have some degree of hearing loss. This equates to 1 in 7 people.

The NDA Hearing Support Service’s staff and volunteers offer home visits, as well as a mobile clinic, which visits 28 towns and villages throughout Norfolk. There are also nearly 130 community clinics; most of which are for residents at nursing homes and sheltered schemes, but some are open to the general public. The volunteers look after hearing aids, clean and replace tubes, fit ear moulds correctly, replace filters, supply new batteries and provide advice on how to get the most out of hearing aids.

Tia’s Treasures began in 2011 when Tia was just 6 years old. Tia started out by creating beaded bracelets for family and friends until she soon realised that she could turn what had started out as a hobby into a fundraising enterprise calling herself  Tia’s Treasures. Tia decided she would not only create bracelets but necklaces, key rings, bag charms, mobile phone charms, earrings, rings, brooches, bookmarks and magnets.

Tia began donating the proceeds from the sales of her “treasures” to CLIC Sargent and CHECT (Childhood Eye Cancer Trust) as these charities had supported her Best Friend Demi who had been battling Retinoblastoma since the age of 6 months, by the age of 8 Demi had unfortunately lost her sight in both eyes.

It was “Cheers!” 14,500 times over when representatives of children’s charity Break dropped in at Norfolk opticians Dipple & Conway.

Norwich’s Fat Cat Brewery brewed a special commemorative beer for a unique glasses-meets-glasses initiative to celebrate the centenary of Dipple & Conway’s independent practice.

Long-time supporters of Break, Dipple & Conway promised to donate 10p for every pint sold in the initial three-month run of Cat’s Eyes ale, brewed just in time for last year’s Norwich Beer Festival. And the tipple proved so popular with Norfolk’s real ale drinkers that the family firm found themselves pulling a cheque for £1,450.

Nelson’s Journey, Norfolk’s charity supporting bereaved children are today launching exam guidance for young people who have experienced the death of a significant person in their life.

Through their work, the charity have become aware of a number of bereaved young people who have been affected by the content of an exam question, particularly when that content is specifically referring to a bereavement experience.

A young person who received support from the charity sat an English language exam in which they were required to explore creative writing.  The text chosen referred to a Mum who was dying of cancer and the impact this had on the family. The text was an accurate reflection of their own life story, as their Mum had died just a few months earlier in very similar circumstances. 

Matt Roberts has concluded his 500k charity run from Great Yarmouth to Aberystwyth. His run benefited two charities: Norfolk child bereavement charity Nelson's Journey, and Sussex-based children’s hospice the Chestnut Tree House.

Mr Roberts was welcomed on his arrival to Aberystwyth by Ceredigion's Member of Parliament Mark Williams, Chief Executive of Nelson's Journey Simon Wright, and family and friends.

Following the success of GoGoGorillas! in 2013, Break Charity is firing up our City centre with a blaze of dragons, this summer, bringing visitors to Norwich, embracing creativity and ultimately raising funds with an auction at the end of the event.

GoGoDragons! is a Wild in Art event brought to Norwich by Break Charity, the  presenting partner Norwich BID, together with supporting partners Almary Green and Aspiration Europe.  Each of the 80 plus large dragon sculptures is sponsored by a local business, trust or group.  Seven sculptures are Heritage related dragons, painted and designed by artists and community groups.  The GoGoDragons! trail starts on 21st June and ends on 5th September 2015.

On Friday 24th October,  over 75 people making up 11 teams took part in a quiz 'n' chips fundraising evening in aid of the SOS Bus and OPEN Youth Trust and raised over £1,000. 

The SOS Bus was set up in 2001, following the death of two teenagers on Riverside and has been helping anyone who may need their services since then.

I was surprised to read in the newspaper recently that "One in five expectant parents is unaware of the need to talk to their baby."  In fact "According to a survey by the National literacy Trust, 19% of parents-to-be believed their child would only benefit from being spoken to from three months old. The survey of 3,000 parents and parents-to-be also found that 5% of expectant parents thought speech & language skills "happen naturally" and they had no role to play in helping them develop."*