About the community group/organisation/individual

Since 2003 the Southern Hearing Charitable Trust has employed the Southern Cochlear Implant Programme (SCIP) to deliver its services.

SCIP is dedicated to helping children and adults with profound hearing loss, to improve their hearing and spoken communication.

Currently about 60 people in the Invercargill area who are cochlear implant recipients are involved in the programme.

What the grant went towards

The ILT Foundation provided the Southern Hearing Charitable Trust, with a grant of $2500 towards the purchase of spare parts, repairs and batteries for adult cochlear implant users residing in Invercargill.

What the grant means to the community group/organisation

“Many people are not utilising their implant to the maximum benefit when they cannot afford replacement parts,” Southern Cochlear Implant Programme general manager Neil Heslop said.

“Having extra funds to help toward the day to day cost of maintaining their equipment has been hugely beneficial, especially to our older patients”.