Update: as I've now exceeded my original target I have increased it again so that I can hopefully raise more money for this good cause. Thanks so much for those of you who have already so generously donated! 

Lockdown is an excellent excuse to avoid having a party! My big
birthday coincides with Tinnitus Week and as I fortunately don’t need any more stuff I’d like to invite those who might have wanted to spend money on me to instead donate a small sum to my fundraiser : “70 for 70 for tinnitus”. Many people are living with tinnitus; a buzzing, ringing, hissing or whistling noise that won’t go away. Nearly 50% of people living with tinnitus say it has got worse since the start of the pandemic - many have suffered increased distress, and some have suffered ‘spikes’. Of those who have been ill with the virus and recovered, many have found their tinnitus more troubling. For people who were free of tinnitus before having Covid-19, a large number have since suffered hearing loss and/or tinnitus as part of ‘long covid’. I have had tinnitus for a few years. It initially caused me some concern, but I have come to accept it despite the sounds being there 24/7. Stress does make it worse and I have forgotten what silence is!  I’m one of the lucky ones, but I know from support groups I have attended that for some the distress caused by the unremitting sounds is unbearable. The British Tinnitus Association provides support and also funds research into the causes of tinnitus and a possible cure.
I would like to support this in a small way so my aim is to raise at least  £70 for my 70^th.

The British Tinnitus Association is the only national charity specialising in tinnitus support. Their vision is a world where no one suffers from tinnitus. They receive no money directly from the government, so are 100% reliant on the generosity and support of members of the public and grant-making organisations to be able to support people with tinnitus across the UK. All of their work is paid for by the generosity of supporters like you.