BIG-HEARTED staff from Tamworth’s Ankerside Shopping Centre are putting their best foot forward to raise cash for a charity helping deaf people.

The team from Specsavers Hearing Centre at Ankerside are taking part in a sponsored walk for Hearing Dogs for the Deaf, to add to the hundreds of pounds they’ve already raised for the charity.

On Saturday May 17, the intrepid hikers will step out in at the Kingsbury Water Park, alongside the River Tame for the Paws For A Walk event.

Spearheading the fearless band of foot sloggers will be Specsavers Hearing Centre director and audiologist  Laura Hale who explained: “We have a very close relationship with Hearing Dogs for the Deaf,  which is a brilliant charity and does lots of really good work.

“The charity puts a lot of time and effort into training the hearing dogs from puppies and pairing the new owner with the dog.”

Ankerside Shopping Centre Manager Pete Barber said: “Laura and her team, like many of the staff here at Ankerside, are very committed to helping their customers.  Giving up their own time to help raise funds for this admirable charity is one example of how they give a little bit extra.

“I know that our regular shoppers are very generous and I’d ask them to take a moment to sponsor the walk by Laura’s team, and so help make a difference for somebody with hearing problems.”

Laura added: “The sponsored walk that myself and a few colleagues are taking part in at Kingsbury Water Park is part of our on-going support for Hearing Dogs for the Deaf.

“It’s a four-mile course around the lakes which should be a very pleasant way to spend a Saturday morning and we’re all looking forward to it very much.

“We’re being sponsored by our colleagues and also by our customers who are always very willing to back this charity because of the excellent work it does.

“Our last event, which was very well supported by our customers, was last month when we held a hearing awareness day and collection at the store for Hearing Dogs for the Deaf.

“Our special guests for the day were Jan Winters and her hearing dog Berrie, which has transformed her life since she got him three years ago.

“Jan and Berrie, who is a specially trained five-year-old Golden Labrador Retriever cross, regularly give talks in local schools on what an important role hearing dogs can play in the life of a deaf person.

“Jan used to shy away from going to big shopping areas because she didn’t know what was going on around her but Berrie gives her signals to guide her as she walks and I know she feels very confident and secure at Ankerside.

“At the awareness day we offered free hearing checks and promoted the message that people should look after their ears. While many people have regular sight tests they tend to forget about their hearing a little bit.

“We also sold cakes which the staff had made and sold them outside the store. This made £134 for Hearing Dogs for the Deaf.

“We have recently expanded the audiology side of things at Specsavers in Ankerside.  I am now there three days a week – Monday, Wednesday and Thursday – to do hearing tests on an NHS and private basis and our hearing care assistant Pamela Gordon is at the store every day apart from Sunday to offer help and guidance”

Vicky Ryan, Midlands community fundraiser for Hearing Dogs for the Deaf, said: “I’m very grateful to the people from Specsavers at Ankerside for agreeing to take part in our sponsored walk.

“The kind of support we receive from Specsavers is invaluable to the work we do.

“This is the first time we have organised this particular event and we’re expecting around 50 people to take part.

“Starting at 10am, it’s a gentle walk around the water park of about four miles and we’re keeping our fingers crossed that the weather will be kind to us.

“However, we’ll be going ahead with the walk even if it rains – we’d just ask people to bring along their waterproofs!

“I know a few people are planning to bring along their dogs on the day but although the event is in aid of hearing dogs, a dog isn’t essential to take part in the walk.”

For more details about the sponsored walk go to: www.hearingdogs.org.uk/walks

 

Ankerside Shopping Centre, open daily,  is home to 60 stores, from fashion, health and beauty to services and food and drink, and has more than 700 parking spaces. More details at www.ankerside.co.uk