David Stockdale: Put the kettle on for tinnitus this month

Did you know, more than six million people in the UK are living with tinnitus? David Stockdale, chief executive of the British Tinnitus Association, highlights the condition and urges people to join the charity in fundraising through its Tea for Tinnitus campaign this June:

Defined as sounds in the head or ears, which have no external source, tinnitus affects different people in different ways and for some it can have a hugely debilitating impact on their day-to-day lives.

It can affect people of all ages, even young children, and everyone’s experience of the condition is different.

For some people, the type of sound differs. For example, one person’s tinnitus may be a ringing sound, whereas others may experience buzzing, whooshing or humming.

The pitch of the noise can vary, too, from low to medium or high, and there may be one single sound or two or more. The tinnitus sounds may come and go, or be continuous.

Through our vital support lines, we speak to people living with tinnitus every day, providing a friendly voice, advice and guidance to help them manage their condition – for which there is no cure yet.

We want to change this. We also want to help make the lives of people living with tinnitus more comfortable, while working to shed light on some of the questions that surround the condition such as why it occurs and what more can be done to help people manage their tinnitus more effectively.

In 2015/16 alone, we invested more than £576,000 on research, in order to try and find some of these answers and solutions – as well as ultimately, a cure.

We need to keep searching.

That’s why, this June, we’re urging people across the country to join us in putting the kettle on and collecting much-needed, vital funds to support our work and help people who are living with tinnitus.

Put the kettle on and talk about tinnitus

Our Tea for Tinnitus campaign runs throughout June 2017 and it’s simple to take part. Just gather a group of people – no matter how big or small – and put the kettle on!

Offer a cup of tea, coffee and perhaps a slice of cake or a biscuit or two, in return for a donation.

Every penny raised will go towards supporting the British Tinnitus Association’s work, funding our pioneering research into finding a cure and helping ensure we can continue to offer our helpline, which acts as a vital source of support for numerous people across the UK.

We’ve set ourselves the target of raising £15,000 – an ambitious one – but one we’re determined to achieve during June, with your help.

Simply head to the website (www.teafortinnitus.co.uk) and register for a free fundraising pack.

And if you’ve not got time to host a tea party, then please do consider making a small donation via the website. Every penny really does make a difference.

Don’t forget to join the conversation on social media by uploading your Tea for Tinnitus photos and videos and using the #T4Tinnitus hashtag. Follow @BritishTinnitus on Twitter and tag us in your posts so we can share your images.

For further information on tinnitus, please call our confidential freephone helpline on 0800 018 0527, or visit www.tinnitus.org.uk