DeafExpo 2026 – Thank you !!!
DeafExpo 2026 – Thank you !!! We had such a fantastic few days at DeafExpo in May 2026. It was such a joy and privilege to meet and speak to so many wonderful people. It was inspiring to be part of such brilliant community, chatting animatedly in BSL.
Hearing Aid Recycling & DeafKidz International (DKI) joining forces::
Hearing Aid Recycling’s Zöe and Bimba arrived late on Thursday afternoon with a bag full of poles, some banners and a lot of optimism but no iron! Following what felt like a cross between auditioning for The Krypton Factor and The Generation Game, the backdrops were up and the cloth was on. The cloth was such a crumpled mess it was decided that it would have to be taken home overnight and have an encounter with an iron. Hearing Aid Recycling’s collaboration with DKI meant that between them, they could share a really lovely space. A few plants, another pull-up banner and the installation of Dexter meant the stand was complete and ready to start welcoming visitors.
Brilliant Fletcher Chisalipo from Malwai:
It was lovely to exchange some whatsapp’s with Fletcher. To show him how our big banners showcasing the incredible work he does for Deaf people in Malawi had turned out.
DeafExpo 2026 – Thank you !!!
As an overall experience it was really quite overwhelming. It was wonderful to feel part of such a vibrant and welcoming family. It was very exciting to see our little circle logo (can you spot it?) nestled in amongst all of the others. Here’s just a few of the other companies and organisations that took part: Phonak, Sonova, RNID, Action Deafness, Convo, National Deaf Children’s Society to name just a few. It was also great to catch up with Mary Hare School. Hearing Aid Recycling’s Zöe had the honour of being shown round the school whilst it was stil in its original gothic building in Newbury. Mary Hare’s sister organisation The Hearing Aid Repair Shop have helped refurbish and process thousands of the hearing aids that go to help other hear around the world.
Hearing Aids, Hearing Aids and yes, a few more….. hearing aids!
We really loved our ‘how many life-changing hearing aids in a jar’ competition. It was such fun chatting to everyone. We had such a wide range of guesses. In case you’re wondering, there were 1820. Exactly that many. Counted and verified!
Wandering down hearing aid memory lane:
OK, so none of us there were old enough to have used ear trumpets or the rather beautiful but incredibly restrictive bakelite beauty from the 1920’s. Some of the much younger attendees were astounded to hear that the 1920’s hearing aid set up involved actually having to be plugged into the electricity. That as such you couldn’t use the hearing aid further from a single wall socket than the length of the cable. However, there were quite a lot of not very old attendees who eperienced and remembered……
Body worn aids….
These body worn hearing aids in the box on the left were donated to us by a gentleman called Chirs. Many people stopped to say hello to us and recounted their stories and experiences of wearing body worn hearing aids as children. Explaining to Zöe and Bimba that they used to hit them on the chins when they ran around.
So many new friendships formed:
Again it was truly brilliant to meet so many inspiring people. To see familiar faces such as Dec and Daniela from Auzi and their beautiful hearing aid jewellery. Here’s Hearing Aid Recycling’s Founder Zöe with Living With Hearing Loss‘ Founder Amy. Watch out for some exciting future collaborations!
Have you……..
blocked your diary ready for DeafExpo ’27? If you haven’t yet, here’s the info and now’s the time!
Deaf Expo 20206 – thank you !!!
Really looking forward to seeing you next year!
We’ll be there! With your help donating no longer needed hearing aids we may have an even bigger jar. Will the 12 Krispy Kreme doughnuts have your name on them?
Hearing Aid Recycling and gratitude!
Little by little towards a BIG difference.
If we look at the total numbers. Just how many hearing aids are thrown away each year. How many people don’t have access to hearing aids around the world, it feels quite huge and a little overwhelming. So, we’ve decided to take it one day at a time, one hearing aid at a time and hopefully little by little we will chip away at the problem and make a difference. We can’t do it on our own. However, with help from organisations such as Dignity and the people within them (too many to name!), working together we can change lives. It’s so very humbling and such a privilege to be able to be part of such a brilliant team.
Thank you !!!
Please help us, please donate any no longer needed hearing aids!
Here’s how:
If you’d like to donate your or a loved ones no longer needed hearing aids, you can find your nearest drop off point here.
Or why not send us an email at info@hearingaidrecycling.co.uk and we can look it up for you?
We love to hear from you too. If it is easier, please do give us a call on 0300 102 1565 and we can help you donate.
Or simply pop them in the post to us at:
Hearing Aid Recycling
P O Box 816
Banbury
OX16 6TW
If you do send us anything, if you’re happy to, please include your contact details and we’ll let you know they have arrived safely.
THANK YOU Dignity and THANK YOU everyone who has and does donate hearing aids for Hearing Aid Recycling. They make such a difference and really do: