Our Impact - email size

OUR
IMPACT
ANNUAL REVIEW OF OUR ACTIVITY
2018-2019

HELL0
Welcome to the annual review of our activity
and the impact we have made.
I am really proud of the achievements we have made in
2018-19. It was great to see us pass the milestone of 100
tinnitus support groups across the UK. When we embarked
on the project in 2012 to build the numbers of support
groups, there were only 34. Through a lot of hard work
and dedication, we have been able to help so many more
people access the support they need.
It was also a year where we were able to engage
far more collaboratively with research institutions
to understand the challenges facing tinnitus research.
The result of this collaboration will see an updated
research strategy next year with more focus on how to move tinnitus research forward.
This year, we launched our first ever Tinnitus Expo and it was a huge success!
A sell-out event in Birmingham, the Expo had a mix of specialist talks by tinnitus
experts, hands-on taster sessions, exhibitors, and support sessions.
In other areas it was great to see our Information Management project launched to
oversee our free tinnitus helpline and other support services. New services to respond
to the changing needs of the tinnitus community will come online next year.
A number of changes we initiated in previous years came to fruition. The development
of our fundraising team allowed us to set the foundations for new projects and
additional investment in tinnitus research.
The positive steps forward this year would not have been possible without the dedication
of our trustees, staff, partners, volunteers and supporters. The ongoing commitment of
this team is integral to the success of the BTA, and for which we continue to be very
grateful. Thank you.
David Stockdale
Chief Executive

2019
HIGHLIGHTS
Our year in numbers
A total of
720
27,480
social media followers – getting
the tinnitus community talking
people attended our Expo
and Information Days –
helping individuals
and their families
For the first time we exceeded
1 MILLION
unique visitors to our website -
providing reliable information
about tinnitus
Sold
3,437
6,654
helpline calls
answered
– providing
empathy and
understanding
to people
with tinnitus
Total users of our online
forum has increased by
172%
over the year
products to help people
manage their tinnitus better
Increased the number of
active support groups to
105
New research this year
has identified that
13% 78
of UK adults have
tinnitus (greater than
the 10% we previously
thought)
giving people an
opportunity to share
experiences and
knowledge
78
professionals attended
our training courses

THE IMPACT WE
MADE THIS YEAR
We want “a world where no one suffers from tinnitus.”
We implemented the first year of our five-year operational plan, which
integrates our five strategic priorities of Cure, Inform, Prevent, Manage
and Deliver.
Here are a few highlights of our progress throughout the year to achieving our
goals
CURE Lead progress towards a cure
Through our research activities we have recognised
that, in order to develop and progress research, a more
collaborative and consistent approach across the research
community and ourselves is needed.
To illustrate the current postition regarding our knowledge of
tinnitus and tinnitus research, we created the Tinnitus Cure
Map. This highlights gaps in our knowledge, and
opportunities for research.
We also developed a closer working relationship with Action on Hearing Loss’
Research Directorate, and made new connections with representatives of the
pharmaceutical industry who have an interest in tinnitus.
In addition to the work above a number of ongoing
BTA research initiatives have also made the
following progress during the year.
The feasibility study into Eye Movement
Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR)
is complete and the results have been published.

INFORM
Everyone should know what
tinnitus is and what to do about it
New research this year has identified that 13% of UK adults have tinnitus which is
greater than the 10% we previously thought. With this in mind it is more important
than ever that people are better informed about the condition.
65% of people who responded to our 2018
survey told us they felt better informed about
their tinnitus after contacting us.
For the first time we exceeded 1 million unique
visitors to our website and at least 86% of these
were new to the site.
This year we launched our new Communications Strategy to improve ways
in which we reach and engage with the tinnitus community.
Our prevention work has been led by our Plug’em
campaign, which seeks to increase earplug use and
increase awareness of loud music induced tinnitus.
PREVENT
Empower people to
make effective choices
about noise exposure
Over the year we have increased reach through
dedicated Plug’em Facebook and Twitter accounts by
14% and 17% respectively. We have substantially
exceeded our target of engaging with 10 organisations
to disseminate Plug’em campaign materials by
reaching 71. We attended the TWSTD Wonderland Festival
and distributed over 1,000 pairs of earplugs and attracted endorsement and promotion
from a number of high profile DJs performing.

MANAGE
Provide the best support to the whole
tinnitus community
In the absence of a cure for tinnitus, management
of the condition is key to having a good quality of
life. The key achievements,across our services, that
contribute to the effective management of tinnitus
were:
Helpline - with support from donors and funders
we recruited our first ever Tinnitus Support Manager
in November 2018. During the year, our staff and volunteers answered 6,654 calls from
people needing emotional and practical support to better manage their tinnitus.
Take on Tinnitus - our online self-help platform continues to be a valuable
resource for people who have recently begun to experience tinnitus. Explore it
yourself at www.takeontinnitus.co.uk
Tinnitus Support Groups - we celebrated
our 100th support group milestone in
summer 2018, and ended the 2018-19 period
with 105 active groups. Our support groups
provide a valuable source of support, and
can aid coping and resilience.
Tinnitus Information Days - Events were held in Norwich, Cheltenham, Hull and
Liverpool which supported 420 people in learning more about their tinnitus
and how to reduce its negative impact.
Tinnitus Expo - Our first national Tinnitus Expo in September 2018 provided over
300 members of the public with an ‘under one roof’ opportunity to access
seminars, lectures, tasters, our face-to-face helpline, and exhibition. We will
repeat and grow the event for 2019.
Guidelines - One of the leaders in the development of several formal guidelines for
standardising practice for tinnitus patients in partnership with the British Society of
Audiology.

DELIVER
Ensure we have the resources that
can deliver the strategic priorities
in line with our values and best practice
In line with our five-year strategic, operational and staffing plans there has been
further expansion this year which has extended our reach and ability to support
more people with tinnitus and improve our impact in doing so.
During the year we have sought to evaluate
the impact of our strategic aims through
measuring our social return on investment.
Volunteers continue to play an integral
part in our ability to help people with
tinnitus, as well as bringing new and
refreshing approaches and added value.
During the year volunteer numbers
totalled 43, made up of 18 administrators,
11 befrienders, 5 helpline supporters,
5 community outreach supporters, 1 blogger and 3 community speakers.
IMPORTANT
To enable us to deliver long-term sustainability and growth of the organisation,
we invested in expanding the fundraising team, with the recruitment of two new
members of staff.
The donations and support we receive continue
to improve the lives of people with tinnitus.
Without this support, for which we are very
grateful, our ability to help the tinnitus
community simply wouldn’t be possible.
For more information about our fundraising
activities and how to get involved, please
visit: www.tinnitus.org.uk/fundraise-for-us
For more information about our volunteering opportunities, please visit:
www.tinnitus.org.uk/volunteering-opportunities-where-you-live

TINNITUS
STORIES
Pat, retired solicitor
“My tinnitus started quite some time ago, after I retired.
My local GP and NHS services were as helpful as they
could be, but after I’d ‘run out of road’ and been through
all they could offer, I heard the dreaded words ‘you have
to live with it’. The anxiety kicked in, which you really have
to fight – you have to deal with this on a daily basis.
I found my local tinnitus support group very, very useful. You realise that you’re not
on your own. There’s lots of support and good quality information out there, and
leading that is the BTA. They are a source of good, solid information which can be
trusted. It’s outstanding. I can’t speak more highly of it.”
Jessica, 16
“I have had tinnitus since I was seven years old and at first,
I didn’t realise it was tinnitus. My nan passed away around that
age and I think that it was the trauma from her death that
caused it.
I told my parents that I could hear things, like a whooshing
sound, and pain in my ears. It was very distressing, and I felt like I didn’t know
what was going on; was there something wrong with me?
My parents took me to see my GP and they arranged to have an MRI scan which
luckily came back as fine. So, I was referred to the audiologist and had my ears
tested and they suggested that I try relaxation techniques because it might be
part of my inability to grieve because of my age.
When I was 15 I was diagnosed with high functioning autism and given sleep
programmes I could attend, relaxation methods and I found just talking about
everything was very helpful. That’s when it was recommended I go back and
see the audiologist because a lot of my anxiety was noise related.
I went to the audiology team in Nottingham and got a pair of tinnitus aids.
After six months I started to use the tinnitus aids less and less to the point
where I didn’t need them anymore.
Claire at the audiology department was so proud of my achievements, it made
me so happy. This is when she suggested that I write an article for the BTA
magazine, Quiet. Because I might inspire others, especially teenagers, to try
some of the things I did.
I want this story to show that it is possible to live with tinnitus.”

SUPPORTER
STORIES
Cameron
In September Cameron took on the Baxters Loch
Ness Marathon and chose to support the BTA
as tinnitus affects him personally. Huge
congratulations as this was his first marathon,
finishing in 3 hrs 57 mins and raising £675.
Peter
Peter challenged himself to swim 100 miles
over the year of 2018. He wanted to get
people talking about tinnitus as well as
raising funds for the BTA. He raised over
£1900 and completed his swim by mid-December.
Rachel
Running has helped to provide Rachel with a
a distraction from her tinnitus, which started
following a virus. She decided to run the
Brighton Marathon in aid of the BTA and raised
an amazing £500.

LEAVING A GIFT
IN YOUR WILL
Gifts in Wills pay for around half of our work to help people with tinnitus
The majority of the research projects we have supported would not be possible
without kind donations made in Wills.
When you are writing your Will, it is of course important to consider your family and friends first.
Once you have made provision for your family and feel able to leave something to the British
Tinnitus Association, you can be assured that you will be leaving a long-term legacy to offer hope
and support to people with tinnitus now and in the future.
Types of gifts
You can choose to leave the following types of gifts in
your Will:
1
Share of your estate
You can leave anything from 1% to 100% of your
estate. This is also known as a residual gift.
2Cash gift
A fixed sum of money known as a pecuniary gift.
3
Specific gift
You may choose to leave a specific item in your Will,
such as jewellery, a car, or shares.
Did you know?
Currently, 40% of people
will die without a Will.
This could lead to
significant legal costs, and
a lot of stress for the
family left behind.
If you are interested in leaving a gift to the
British Tinnitus Association, and need more
information, please contact David on
0114 250 9933 or email davidsteele@tinnitus.org.uk
We strongly recommend you use a solicitor to
help you make your Will, to ensure that it is legally
valid and that your wishes will be carried out exactly
as you want.

PLANS FOR
THE FUTURE
2019-20 will be an exciting year...
As we continue to pursue a world where no one suffers from tinnitus we have outlined
our strategic priorities to shape the future of the charity.
CURE - We plan to:
• Develop the concept of a Tinnitus Biobank
(a database of health information) for a
long-term study into genetic and
environmental factors associated
with tinnitus.
• Publish the electronic Tinnitus Cure Map.
• Make funds available to commission
large and small scale research that uses
existing data or new concepts to help
cure-focused research.
INFORM & PREVENT - We plan to:
• Merge the priority themes of ‘inform’
and ‘prevent’ to focus our preventative
work around campaigns and
effective messaging.
• Across the inform theme we will seek
to continue to increase awareness
of tinnitus and prevention, and how to
get help.
MANAGE - We plan to:
• Continue to deliver, expand, evaluate
and improve our range of services with
an aim to increase the number of
people reporting they are better
able to manage their tinnitus.
• Measure the improvements in the social
value these services achieve.
• Work with professionals to ensure
improved quality of tinnitus services
are available across NHS and private
practice.
DELIVER - We plan to:
• Improve our key resources and
infrastructure, which will include an
office move to accommodate our
growing staff team and improve
support for the existing team of staff
and volunteers.
• Ensure that the organisation continues
to be operationally and financially sound
to deliver our key priorities, values and
best practice.

OUR FINANCES
The BTA receives no direct government funding. We can
only continue our work through the generous support of our
members, donors, fundraisers & grant-making organisations.
Income sources 2018-19
Overall income: £1,010,003
16%
Cost of services 2018-19
Overall spend: £975,201
14%
20%
7%
47%
11%
4%
1%
7%
4%
29%
7%
1%
11%
20%
Trusts & foundations
Sale of services
Tinnitus research
Governance/legal
Personal donations
Sales of goods
Bank interest
Gifts in Wills
Training events/conference
Other charitable activities
Admin/premises
Fundraising
Membership
Cost of goods
Staff costs
Thank you to all our supporters.
British Tinnitus Association
Ground Floor, Unit 5
Acorn Business Park
Woodseats Close
Sheffield S8 0TB
0114 250 9933
info@tinnitus.org.uk
www.tinnitus.org.uk
Helpline: 0800 018 0527
Reg Charity No: 1011145