A BRITISH tinnitus charity has relaunched in the aim of raising awareness in its fight against the condition.
The British Tinnitus Association – the only charity in the UK dedicated to supporting the one in seven adults in the UK who live with tinnitus – is now Tinnitus UK.
Today, the Sheffield-based charity unveiled the new name, alongside a new website and new chatbot aimed at tackling the growing number of people developing tinnitus.
Tinnitus is the sensation of hearing a sound when there is no external source for that sound.
Someone with tinnitus may hear ringing, buzzing, hissing, whistling or other noises – and can be there all the time or come and go.
The volume of someone’s tinnitus can vary from one episode to the next.
Deanne Thomas, CEO of Tinnitus UK said: “Now we are Tinnitus UK. This new name puts tinnitus first, because taking on tinnitus is the main reason we’re here, and we want everyone to know that.
“Becoming Tinnitus UK will help us reach more people with tinnitus, be more visible and raise more awareness of this condition which can have a significant impact on people’s quality of life.
“We began life as the British Tinnitus Association in 1979, which reflected our roots as a network of tinnitus support groups. Then most people started to call us the BTA.”
Lynne Gillon, Chair of Trustees of Tinnitus UK, said: “This marks the start of a very exciting period for the charity, as we build on our past successes and strive to reach even more people who may be struggling with tinnitus.
“[This moves us] nearer to our vision of creating a world where no one suffers with tinnitus.”
The charity received a major digital grant to improve their digital resources to further help those with tinnitus and used this to create a new and improved website, an enhanced web chat and a tinnitus chatbot.
Deanne added: “Our new website makes it easier for people to navigate, to engage with Tinnitus UK and to find areas of support that suits them.
“The chatbot means that we can help people no matter what time of day it is – as we know tinnitus can spike at night.
“Our website integrates with our new client relationship management system, which will help us to connect with more people with tinnitus than ever before.”
The chatbot will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – and will guide people with tinnitus to relevant resources each time they visit the website.
This is the only tinnitus chatbot that is free and available to everyone and the charity has said that this chatbot marks a significant step forward in its aim to reach more people.
Alongside the new name, a refreshed visual identity has been developed, which features clear bright colours and a soundwave graphic.
Tinnitus UK’s new website and chatbot can be found at www.tinnitus.org.uk
