Port U3A and ETC Helping Hearing Impaired Elderly Tune-in

Port Macquarie Hastings U3A continues to grow from strength to strength with 750 members and 60 courses on offer.

Now the local organisation, committed to providing intellectual stimulation to aged people, is trying to attract and better accommodate people with a hearing impairment.

“There’s a high proportion of our age group (pensioner age) that are hearing impaired to some extent or another,” Port Macquarie Hastings U3A President Kevin Pike said.

“Mental stimulation, intellectual thought and the capacity to hear are paramount in maintaining self- worth and well-being for older people.

“Thanks to the generosity of ETC, through the ETC Community Support Fund, we’ve purchased and installed a sound system with a hearing loop that will feed directly into the ears of the hearing impaired in our main lecture/multi-purpose room.

“This will enable them to hear lectures and participate in group discussions, providing an improved sense of inclusiveness in our community.”

If you’re interested in learning a language, perfecting your scrabble technique, touching up on your world and Australian history knowledge, or even learning more about how the brain works, check out www.pmhu3a.org.au for a full guide to the courses on offer at the Port Macquarie Hastings U3A.

ETC’s Port Macquarie Training Manager Glen Towle said it was a pleasure to support the local U3A.

“The ETC Community Support Fund is designed to help organisations improve the social and economic development of local communities,” Mr Towle said.

“ETC is proud to be a not-for-profit company and we are confident the money we are donating will help make a more positive future for our community.

“Since 1989, ETC has placed over 51,000 Australians into jobs, trained more than 23,000 people, helped over 34,000 small businesses to start-up and grow, and contributed in excess of $25 million to the local communities in which we operate.”

The next round of the ETC Community Support Fund opens on Monday 14 July 2014 and closes on Sunday 31 August 2014.

Visit http://enterpriseandtrainingcompany.com.au/csf/ for more information and/or to apply.