Te Awamutu Hearing Association closing after 57 years

Te Awamutu Hearing Association committee made presentations to long-serving hearing tutor and secretary Barbara Lim and chairman and treasurer Richard Reynolds.

Te Awamutu Hearing Association held an extraordinary general meeting at the end of last month to mark the wind-up of the organisation, marking the end of 57 years of service to the hearing impaired community.

The local group is the latest to find their services no longer warrant continuing.

Chairman Richard Reynolds welcomed members and guests and reported that the meeting was the result of the discussion of the extraordinary general meeting held in September which recommended dissolution.

He put the motion to the meeting to wind up the association, which had been put by the committee and unanimously passed by members.

Richard said it was a sign of the increase in the number of private audiology clinics now operating in Te Awamutu.

He said the committee generally endorsed the work these clinics were doing, but that if members felt they preferred the services of a branch of the New Zealand Hearing Association, there was still a branch operating in Hamilton.

An outcome of the dissolution was the distribution of funds pending the final balance after the last expenses have been paid and any income from sales of equipment and furniture is received.

A number of recommendations had been received, all benefiting other local and national charities, such as Hearing Dogs, New Zealand Hearing Association projects, local service group projects and local health initiatives.

The committee, through president Colin Schimanski, did make two presentations to mark longstanding and valuable contributions to the Te Awamutu Association.

As well as being chairman, Richard has served as treasurer for a number of years, and was presented with a framed certificate of appreciation, vouchers and a payment in appreciation for his valuable work.

The second presentation was to long serving volunteer and previous hearing tutor/therapist Barbara Lim.

She began an interest in the hearing impaired after she and husband Sid retired from their business in 1988.

Barbara worked with previous long serving tutor Robin Holdaway and in 1993 was certified as a tutor and took over when Robin retired.

She was still engaged as a hearing adviser until the winding up of the group, and from 2000 until this year was volunteer secretary.

Barbara said it had been wonderful to work with and for a group of such great people.

She also received a framed certificate of appreciation, flowers and a sum of money to reflect the immense service she has given to the group.

Members celebrated the end of a successful era with a shared lunch and further reminiscing.

Contact details for Hamilton Hearing Association are 07 852 5725, hamhearing@xtra.co.nz.