When Paul and Nicole got in touch to let us know their local social club had raised more than $8,000 for our Broadmeadow centre, it was clear they were supporting a cause that was close to their hearts.

The two friends are both members of the Wanderers Old Boys and Gals Social Club and are raising awareness of hearing loss. Paul is in his sixties and has hearing loss in both ears, and Nicole’s grandson Spencer, who is nine months, is deaf. Spencer and Paul are supported by NextSense through our centre at Broadmeadow, in Newcastle.

Paul and Nicole are NSW Hunter region locals, born and raised close to Kurri Kurri, a small town about 30 kilometres west of Newcastle. The close-knit community has an eye for fun and is always keen to lend a hand to others. The Wanderers social club is achieving both. Originally set up by members of a now defunct cricket team, it has expanded to include locals of all ages and backgrounds, who come together regularly for social events and to fundraise for a variety of causes.

Like the club, their annual Christmas in July party has become a popular event on the social calendar. Held at Kurri Kurri’s Chelmsford Hotel, each year members select a different cause to donate to – from those affected by flooding, to a women’s refuge, and a support group for parents and friends of people with autism. This year’s party was extra special for Nicole, as she celebrated it with grandson Spencer – his very first Christmas in July.

The club’s donation to NextSense broke all their previous records, raising more than $8,000, which will go towards equipment and resources to support clients at our Broadmeadow centre in Newcastle. Nicole says that the whole community banded together, with local businesses donating everything from beer to ham to signed football jerseys for a silent auction.

Spencer wins hearts wherever he goes, and his mum, Chelsea, says he tackles every day with confidence. The bubbly nine-month-old was the star of the evening, donning a festive bib for the occasion. “It’s very easy to fall in love with him,” says his grandmother Nicole.

Spencer’s hearing loss was picked up during his newborn hearing screening and confirmed in the lead up to the holiday season. He received his first hearing aids on Christmas Eve last year. Chelsea says the family had little experience of hearing loss, but they were reassured by all the support available for families of children who are deaf.

Spencer is now receiving early intervention support from NextSense and is going to be getting a cochlear implant soon to help him access sound.

Club member Paul spent many years working as a sheet metalworker without any hearing protection, which led to industrial deafness. Coming from grape country, he built a lot of wine silos and describes working in them as “like being inside a bell with someone ringing it.”

Then, in 2017, he lost his hearing completely in his left ear from a viral infection. He sought help quickly, and after being confirmed as a candidate, received a cochlear implant from Dr Toby Corlette, who is part of our network of ENT surgeons.

Paul says while the implant took some getting used to, he now wears it all day.

Paul wears a waterproof pack, so he can keep it on while swimming. “Either that or I don’t get to hear what the grandkids are saying in the pool.”

Prior to the opening of our Broadmeadow centre in Newcastle, Paul used to travel to us in Sydney for audiology appointments. It’s now a much shorter drive for him, and he describes the staff as “exceptional.”

“Nothing seems to be a problem for them,” he says.

NextSense Chief Executive Chris Rehn thanked the club for their generous donation.

“As a not-for-profit organisation, donations like these help us to deliver specialist services to people who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or have low vision in the Hunter region,” he says.

You can read more about Spencer, Nicole, Chelsea, Paul and the Wanderers in the Maitland Mercury. Read the story (paywall)