Amazing news! Two of Steven Hale’s clients have been selected to become ambassadors for AIHHP.
What is AIHHP?
AIHHP is the Association of Independent Hearing Healthcare Professionals.
This is an affiliation of what is described as ‘top end’ Audiological professionals who formed together to create an association that is recognisable as being the elite forerunners of excellence within the UK Hearing Care profession. It is a membership generated, nationwide group of experts who provide a range of higher quality services, including hearing assessments, hearing aid provision, hearing protection and specialised hearing health services that would not ordinarily be available through the High Street. Whilst there are many good services that are widely available, the members of AIHHP have been screened, interviewed, and elected in order to ensure that they continually provide nothing short of excellence, and can therefore accurately represent the values of the AIHHP.
What is an Ambassador?
An Ambassador is regarded as being an “…official, accredited envoy…a person who represents a particular organisation…” – for example, David Beckham has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2005, as has Whoopi Goldberg since 2003. They are basically people who are so passionate about a service or product that they want to be publicly associated with them and promote their benefits and virtues to a wider audience.
Who are the Ambassadors?
You may have read on a previous blog about Steven Hale’s commitment and support of deaf Paralympian Jack Hodgson who represented Great Britain in the 2020 Olympics, by providing him with Phonak Audeo hearing aids. Well, another young athlete who has become an Ambassador for AIHHP is Christopher Skelly MBE, a gold medal winner in the Tokyo Olympics. Jack and Chris are both British Paralympic judoka’s who compete in the visually impaired under 100 kg category. In a twist of fate as they grew up training together, suffering with different medical conditions they both also started to lose their hearing and are now Visually and Hearing impaired. Together they are quite a tour de force in the world of Paralympian martial arts. Away from the competitive arena, Jack and Chris are the best of friends and, as they competed in different weight categories, have always cheered each other on from the ringside. However, in a recent twist of fate, the weight boundaries for the discipline have changed and they now find themselves competing against each other for the single qualification place available for Paris 2024. That’s going to be interesting!
What do they do for AIHHP?
In their new roles as Ambassadors for AIHHP, Jack and Christopher both attended the last AIHHP Conference held in June 2023. As their Ambassadorial role grows it is anticipated that Jack and Christopher will attend future events and be able to share their journeys and insight into the world of being a top-level athlete with some sensory impairment. From an organisational point of view, it is a great blessing to be able to count two such active young people amongst our number, as, together, we do believe that much can be explored and learned. Another bonus with these two Ambassadors is, of course, their commitment to social media, where their stories and experiences can be shared by a massive – and diverse – audience.
How does being an AIHHP Ambassador benefit Jack and Christopher?
Both athletes have already benefitted by receiving the level of service and products provided by Steven Hale Hearing, Phonak & AIHHP. However, going forward, their affiliation means they will be getting an insight into the world of Audiology – and we are certain they will be available to provide the AIHHP with some expert tips and feedback of their own, from their perspective as Olympians.
In summary
Membership of the AIHHP offers assurance that the highest possible levels of client care, service provision and product delivery are being adhered to. It is a national network committed to helping with understanding our sense of hearing, and these two Olympic athletes are both fully invested in the enhanced level of expertise that affiliation to the AIHHP provides for members, and, consequently, to their customers.
Find out more about our work and upcoming events here…
