tinnitus aware week

[drumcraw]

although this is T aware week feb 5th -10 I must say im disappointed at the lack of any mention of T. anywhere in media. I did see one article quite small in my local evening newspaper in Edinburgh is this the extent of it? local evening papers ? I was under the impression there would be large national and an in your face campaign!!!!!!!!!!!!! nothing on t.v. at all how disappointing so if this is national awareness week and theres very little about it theres no chance of educating people ESPECIALLY G.P.s on a non awareness week!!!!!!!!!! WHEN! will it get BIG headlines and more people educated??????????????????? its hard enough trying to inform people and make then understand we need MORE help and high profile news and more awarenesss!!!!!!!!!!

[NicBTA Partner]

Absolutely not! Blimey, I can't believe you've not seen more of it! If you use Twitter or Facebook, pop onto our feeds and you can see what we've been up to.

We've had national TV on BBC Breakfast, and local TV too.

National radio with Simon Mayo on Radio Drivetime, and the BTA, Action on Hearing Loss and many private hearing aid practices have spoken on local radio and community radio up and down the country.

Local papers AND national papers - Metro, Express are the two big ones but we've also got more coverage lined up to keep momentum going.

Events and stands in hospitals and libraries.

Blogs and articles on websites worldwide, including Huffington Post, The BMA, Care UK, many music sites.

An information day in Newcastle which attracted nearly 150 people.

So much social media I'm having to re-charge my phone during the day because the notifications are draining the battery - today was the Thunderclap where we reached 2.5 million people.

And it's not over yet - we're running until Sunday!

Bear in mind our ENTIRE annual income is less than £800,000 and from that we support nearly 400,000 people directly, support the biggest tinnitus research programme of any charity, run all our campaigns, oh and pay me and our other staff (not lots, honest - we don't do this for the money!). We get no money from the Government or the NHS. This year, Lloyds Bank alone has a £40 MILLION advertising budget. That's how you get visibility.

I don't mean to sound short with you drumcraw, but part of my role is PR, and I know how much work my colleague Emily has done on this, how much the whole team has, plus other organisations around the world, and how hard getting any coverage is - we have to compete with lots of stories and have to have a really strong hook to get any kind of interest from jaded journalists.

We'd love to have had more coverage, of course we would.

I don't think we do so badly - especially as we don't pay people to speak for us and we don't have big name celebrity support (not for want of trying) but if you want us to do more people are going to have to support us in deeds and - bluntly - with money.

Maybe next year you (a generic you, not pointing directly at you drumcraw!) can sign up to put some posters up in local libraries and community buildings, go around GP surgeries with leaflets, volunteer to stand with a collecting tin outside a supermarket? It is only if the tinnitus community gets behind Tinnitus Week - because you all are the tinnitus experts - can we get people who aren't aware talking about tinnitus.

Best wishes

Nic

[Ruud1boy in reply to NicBTA]

Easy tiger

[NicBTA Partner in reply to Ruud1boy]

Friday afternoon after a tiring week

[drumcraw in reply to NicBTA]

hi nic . sorry I seem to have upset you but from where I am in Scotland I really haven't seen much about T. I do know theres a lot of activity and more help available in England you just need to look at the helpgroups and also the hearing specialists that are available to help. I haven't found one in Edinburgh or Glasgow in fact my doc says if you know ine let me know! but really ive done the bit with posters and leaflets already my local help group had posters made to call them for help but. docs surgeries and libraries didn't want to know! I even went back to check and complained and got nowhere and ive tried afew times o get things on theyre walls for T. but same reaction, and I have made donations to the helpline as I think its a very important service especially when your really down or going crazy with T. ive used it myself many times and have got some help from it but im sorry I didnts ee mch at all wife buys the express didn't see it there either, sorry again if I upset anyone that wasn't my aim take care Crawford.

[NicBTA Partner in reply to drumcraw]

Hi drumcraw - I wasn't upset, as such. Hopefully I pointed out what we have achieved - and what the limitations are. It's as frustrating for us as for you when we don't get the coverage we think that tinnitus deserves.

However, I have to confess I get a little tired when I repeatedly hear things such as "you should do a tv advert" when quite frankly, we don't have the money, and are very unlikely to ever have the money.

Anyway, we are not downhearted, it just adds to the challenge!

And thanks for the donations, it does help and we squeeze every penny until it squeaks (in a non tinnitus inducing way, of course!)

[Angela-H in reply to NicBTA]

Hi Nic, I don't watch daytime television so didn't see any of the items either on national or local news, but I did see them on your great Facebook page, which was crammed full all week. But, the week prior to Tinnitus Week, the local BBC Radio Shropshire main morning programme had a feature lasting about 30 minutes, during which a man with tinnitus was talking with the presenter and Tinnitus Week was mentioned more than once. The telephone numbers etc. were given out for local help groups and a few folk 'phoned in to the programme to talk about their lives with tinnitus. The presenter said he was surprised at the number of people phoning in!

Well done to the great team at the BTA - thank goodness you were there when I had the onset of my tinnitus!

Love,

Angela xx

[Keoni]

Hi, Drumcraw,

Maybe you just missed the media outlets used. I'm sure the fine folk at BTA are doing all they can to raise awareness and inform others of this condition throughout the year, not just one specific week.

For me, not only is every week a tinnitus awareness week but also every day is a tinnitus awareness day.

Instead of complaining about a perceived lack of coverage, if circumstances permit maybe next year you could direct your energies to handing out leaflets at a supermarket/library/town hall.

I'll be looking to do the same.

Respectfully submitted,

Keoni