A Sound Future: The Legacy of the Hearing Association South Canterbury
For nearly 75 years, the local Hearing Association has been a vital support for its members and the hearing-impaired community. Originally operating from the Tekapo Building on Stafford Street, the association later established its own premises on Memorial Avenue, opening the doors in 2006. Throughout its history, it has remained dedicated to serving those in need.
Last year, faced with an evolving landscape of hearing care and a growing private sector catering to those with hearing impairments, the association made the difficult but prudent decision to wind down its operations. Since then, the committee has been working through the sale of the building, ensuring that its assets are put to meaningful use.
Life member Marlene Shewan reflected on this shift, saying: “We’ve hung in there for a good couple of years, but we could see the writing was on the wall, and who would have ever thought years ago that the likes of Specsavers would have had their own audiologist?”
Determined to preserve its legacy, the committee has directed its remaining resources—including its building proceeds and financial reserves—toward a lasting impact. By establishing the Hearing South Canterbury Fund within the Aoraki Foundation, they will continue their mission to support those in need. This fund will provide financial assistance for hearing aids, helping those experiencing hardship through the audiology department at Timaru Hospital.
While the fund is being established now, it will take a year or two before it is in a position to make its first grants. Preference will be given to individuals and families facing financial hardship, with eligibility determined through criteria such as a WINZ referral or holding a Community Services Card.
Shewan emphasized the importance of keeping the association’s legacy within the region, stating: “It’s important to us that it’s all going to stay in South Canterbury, so that after all the work that has been done, we will in a way still continue helping the hearing-impaired here.”
She also noted the strength of hearing care services available locally: “We’ve got an amazing audiology clinic at our public hospital, and we are catered very well for hearing impairment in Timaru. There’s the private places, of course, for hearing aids, but I think our own audiology clinic at the Timaru Hospital covers everything.”
Reflecting on the association’s legacy, she expressed pride in the work done over the decades: “We can be proud of ourselves and be proud of what we’ve done. We haven’t finished up going under, and I think we’ve just stopped because, as a charity, it was getting harder to get grants and everything, and it was getting difficult to get people on a committee to run it.”