Charity’s £10,000 cash boost

11:20pm Monday 18th February 2008

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A charity which has transformed the lives of deaf children is celebrating after receiving £10,000 - thanks in part to the Telegraph & Argus.

Last summer, Margaret Southern, head of provision at The Elizabeth Foundation, spoke out after a £6,000 grant application for radio hearing aids was rejected by education bosses.

However, after reading of the charity's plight, Mrs Southern has been contacted by groups and individuals keen to donate.

Thanks to their support, staff at the Smith Street unit are now set to buy six radio aids which will improve the development of children who wear them.

Mrs Southern said: "The response has been fantastic. Even the smallest donation has been welcome. The funding provides a big boost to what we can do and what we can offer the children."

The Friends of Bradford Royal Infirmary were one of the first to pledge money - donating £1,000. Joanne Smith, a teacher at the Foundation, ran the Jane Tomlinson Leeds 10k, raising a further £1,000, and members of the Guiseley Brass Band hit the right note by chipping in with £150.

Among many other donations, Haworth Road Methodist Church gave £260 and Bradford Masons £2,400. And the SF Group, a charity which supports disabled groups throughout the UK, contributed £4,000.

Mrs Southern said: "When they are wearing a radio hearing aid system the children really get a good sound from the adult who is speaking to them."

The aids will be used by hearing-impaired youngsters aged two-and-a-half to five.

"We are going to buy six - but if they are successful we may go for more for the young ones as well," said Mrs Southern.

"They allow the child wearing them to hear the person speaking to them above background noise.

"They will also help improve the children's language development. We are thrilled with the response from everyone who contacted us to make a donation."

The foundation works with hearing impaired children from birth to school age, and Ofsted inspectors showered the unit with praise in a report last summer, giving it an overall "outstanding" grading.

The foundation relies entirely on public donations. To pledge funds, or find out more about the unit's work, contact Mrs Southern on (01274) 382282.