Daily Echo (Newsquest Regional Press)
Tuesday
Hampshire man rubs shoulders with international superstar during charity mission
by Christopher Yandell
A HAMPSHIRE man was joined by international superstar Sir Elton John during a mission to give the gift of hearing to people in Armenia.
Sir Elton, who has sold more than 300 million records during a career spanning five decades, rubbed shoulders with Lymington audiologist Brian Tilley in the Armenian capital of Yerevan.
Writing on Instagram Sir Elton, 71, said: "It's impossible to describe the sheer joy you feel watching someone hear properly for the first time."
Brian's visit was organised by the Starkey Hearing Foundation, which has supplied almost two million hearing aids to people in more than 100 countries.
Sir Elton is one of Starkey's high-profile supporters along with entrepreneur Richard Branson and former US President Bill Clinton.
The legendary singer-songwriter was accompanied by his husband, David Furnish, and Starkey's founder, Bill Austin.
Brian was among 15 audiologists from across the UK and Ireland who visited Armenia with a six-strong team from Starkey's European headquarters in Cheshire.
The trip followed a previous visit made in October last year, when he and his colleagues fitted more than 1,800 people with hearing devices.
Brian, who is based at the All Ears Hearing Centre in Lymington, said: "I was pleased to be asked back to give the gift of hearing in Armenia.
"It's great to be involved in something which means so much to people who haven't got the facilities in the own communities.
"This is proof that the Starkey Hearing Foundation doesn't just visit once and leave with no support.
" It shows that what's given is for the long-term, with aftercare provided.
"It's wonderful to be involved in continuing the support of the Armenian people."
According the World Health Organisation, more than 360 million people suffer from a disabling hearing loss, with the greatest number living in developing countries.