#HearUsNow With children at risk of falling further behind as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, AVUK are calling on the Government to invest in early and effective support for deaf children in the UK. We want all families who want their child to learn to listen and talk to have the opportunity to access Auditory Verbal therapy through publicly funded services. To do that, we need to radically increase the number of specialist Auditory Verbal therapists working in the NHS and local services. AVUK have launched our #HearUsNow campaign, asking the Government to make an investment of £21.5m over the next 10 years, so that we can provide a sound future for deaf children and unlock an economic benefit of £152m, rising to £11.7billion over 50 years. This will enable all families who want their child to learn to listen and talk, to be able to access Auditory Verbal therapy through publicly funded services, close to where they live. Please write to your MP to help make this happen Meet your MP If you'd prefer to meet your MP in person then most MPs hold surgeries in their constituency to give people an opportunity to discuss matters of concern. MPs usually hold surgeries once a week and advertise them locally or online. Find your MP Share your support on social media Use the #HearUsNow to share your support on social media. You can also download our social media templates and assets. Social media assets Impact report Our 2020-21 Impact Report shows how we've supported families through the pandemic and how we're transforming access to services. We also highlight AVUKs outcomes and our plans to build for the future. Find out more Power of Speech Our Power of Speech event celebrated what deaf children can achieve and why it is so important that families are able to access timely and effective support in the critical first few years of their child’s lives. We had the privilege of hearing from seven young people, who learnt to listen and talk as very young children at Auditory Verbal UK (AVUK). Khush Gopal aged 11, Ava Pearson aged 15, Alana Burton aged 10, Callum Herholdt aged 7, Lauren Press aged 16, Jasper Loten aged 14 and Isabelle Cavanough aged 7 all demonstrated that their hearing loss is no barrier to their achievements and why we must have much higher expectations for children who are deaf and ensure the necessary investment is made in the early years to enable children to achieve the same opportunities in life as their hearing peers. Perspectives on.. hearing series On World Hearing Day (3rd March), AVUK graduate Ava Pearson interviews Gwen Carr who is an Early Hearing Detection and Intervention consultant and a great advocate for Family-centred intervention. More videos will be added to the Perspectives on Hearing playlist.