Giant walking ear the talk of Exeter

A giant walking ear was the talk of the town when it took to the streets with Exeter hearing specialists to raise awareness of the importance of regular hearing screening and cash for charity.

The team at Specsavers Hearing Centre Exeter were joined by the Specsavers Big Ear as they campaigned for better hearing health awareness in the community and raised a three-figure sum for charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.

Staff collected donations while residents received expert audiology advice and express hearing health checks, with hundreds taking their chance to grab a selfie with the Big Ear. Kids also received special hearing health goody bags on the day.

Donna Morgan, director of Audiology at Specsavers Hearing Centre Exeter, said: "The aim of the event was to encourage people to change their outlooks on hearing health and raise vital funds for the training of hearing dogs. We’re grateful to everyone who donated on the day. The Big Ear proved to be a big hit and with the community and I believe we managed to get the message out there about the importance of regular screening."

With one in six people in the UK suffering from hearing loss, Specsavers advises all over 50s to have hearing tests every two years.

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People has been creating partnerships between deaf people and specially trained hearing dogs for three decades. Currently, more than 800,000 people in the UK have severe or profound hearing loss and could potentially benefit from having a hearing dog.

For more information or to book a free test, visit Specsavers Hearing Centre Exeter at Unit 4, 247-248 High Street, Exeter, Devon, EX4 3PZ, call 01392 210 604 or visit http://www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/exeter-hearing.