Stockport-based Starkey Hearing Technologies, one of the world’s largest hearing technology companies, is taking a team of UK hearing professionals on a mission to Armenia as part of the firm’s global community support programme.

It will be the first time a UK team has fitted devices in an overseas mission as part of the worldwide Starkey Foundation initiative, which has provided over 1.9 million hearing devices in more than 100 countries.

Eleven partners plus a seven-strong Starkey team from the UK head office leave for Yerevan on October 13 to fit the devices.

This mission is the second phase of the project for Starkey and its partners who travelled to Yerevan in June to carry out hearing screening and take ear impressions of 1600 people who were identified for support – the ones most in need of better hearing.

This trip will see the actual fitting of the hearing instruments, counselling and aftercare, working closely with a local team.

Roger Lewin, Managing Director at Starkey, said the mission had been one of the most worthwhile things he had ever been involved in: “Meeting the people of Yerevan and those trying to help them on the ground was a truly humbling and inspiring experience.

“We are really looking forward to this next stage where we will be able to actually fit the devices and ‘gift’ better hearing to people who really need it.”

Providing access to hearing care opens up a whole new world of opportunity, helping people to connect to life and accomplish more than they ever thought possible.

Hearing aids help bridge the gap at school, work and life for children and adults with hearing loss and the Foundation strives to move people towards a better life and an awareness that they can help others in turn.

According the World Health Organisation, more than 360 million people have disabling hearing loss, with the greatest number living in developing countries.

Unfortunately, fewer than three per cent can afford hearing aids or access to care.