Evie had her hearing aids fitted just after her fifth birthday, after having grommets when she was four which were unsuccessful.
A grommet is a small ventilation tube which is inserted into the eardrum to allow air into the middle ear and prevent the build-up of fluid. They are usually used to treat ‘Glue Ear’ which is when the ear fills up with fluid instead of air.
During the workshop, she spoke to her class about the challenges she faces at school due to her hearing loss saying: “I have Glue Ear, so it’s harder for me to hear when people are shouting for the ball in PE, or when I’m in a noisy classroom.”
As part of the workshop, the participants took part in a game where they wore sound cancelling headphones while they had to guess the word the other students were saying.
Commenting on the workshop, Evie said: “I really liked today because what my classmates could hear, is like how I can hear. So maybe if they get hearing aids, or when they struggle to hear, they know that it’s okay to be different.”
Community Coach, Josh Rutherford ran the workshop alongside Evie. Josh is also deaf, and feels it is very important to educate people on deaf awareness.
Josh said: “It’s important to raise awareness because I feel that a lot of deaf children and adults are misunderstood, so it’s important for me to educate and inspire the next generation.”
Evie also spoke about what it means to her to have Josh as a coach: “When Josh started coming to Diggle, I was very excited to tell my mum and dad he had hearing aids,” she added.
“It’s amazing having Josh, he is one of the only people I know with hearing aids, and he’s really helped me with my confidence.”
City in the Community deliver the Premier League Primary Stars (PLPS) programme in schools across Greater Manchester.
During these sessions, pupils and teacher take part in national curriculum PE lessons, extra-curricular activities, targeted interventions, educational workshops, social action projects, anti-discrimination sessions, competitions and teacher CPD events.
The aim is to use the inspiration of Manchester City Football Club and the Premier League to engage pupils and teachers to help primary school children to be active and develop essential life skills.
The programme also intends to improve teachers’ confidence and competence when delivering PE and School Sport lessons, and to increase children’s enjoyment and engagement in this area, funded by the Premier League.
Thank you to the Premier League Charitable Fund for their support of City in the Community’s work.
City in the Community empowers healthier lives with city youth through football.
To find out more, visit www.mancity/citc or follow @citcmancity.
