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We are currently experiencing internet and phone issues in some of our centres. For all enquiries, please contact mail@hearandsay.com.au.

 

Hear and Say is pleased to announce the appointment of Sharon Stokell as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), a role she officially began in January 2025. Mrs. Stokell has been with the organisation for several years, previously serving as Chief Operating Officer since 2023 and more recently as Acting CEO for the past five months.

Board Chair, Matthew Ames, expressed his excitement about Mrs. Stokell’s permanent appointment, highlighting her exceptional leadership and commitment to Hear and Say’s mission of providing life-changing support to individuals across Queensland.

 

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With over 35 years of experience in administration, operations, business development, and leadership across healthcare and the not-for-profit sector, Mrs. Stokell brings a wealth of expertise. Her career spans hospitals, general practice, corporate health, and allied health, with a strong focus on education, psychology, mental health, and child protection.

As the new CEO, Mrs. Stokell is focused on expanding Hear and Say’s reach, particularly in the areas of audiology and speech pathology and regional access to services. She is committed to ensuring that families, especially those in rural and remote communities, have easier access to the support they need, removing barriers like complex systems and long travel distances.

Beyond hearing and speech therapy, Mrs. Stokell is also passionate about broadening Hear and Say’s scope to support more individuals in their overall communication and development, regardless of hearing loss

Under her leadership, Hear and Say is poised for continued growth and innovation, as Mrs. Stokell works alongside the talented team, supporters, and the community to achieve the organisation’s vision.

 

 

At the start of 2025, we look back at some of the amazing work that has been possible through our partnership with QCoal Foundation in the last 12 months.

RETAIN program

QCoal Foundation partnered with us in 2021 to establish RETAIN (REgional TArgeted INtervention), a program designed to use a hybrid of telehealth and face-to-face sessions to support school-aged children with hearing loss, living in regional Queensland.

In 2024 alone, over 100 school-aged children, living regionally across Queensland enjoyed improved access to supports, thanks to RETAIN. Families continuously share anecdotes of having more personal access to clinicians, including the benefits of receiving at home and in-school visits.

Some of the children in RETAIN were invited to speak at an event we held in Brisbane’s Parliament House. Thanks to generous funding from QCoal Foundation, Power of Speech was held on 6 March 2024, and was aimed at an audience of Queensland parliamentarians.

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Four children in our RETAIN program spoke publicly about how hearing loss impacts their lives and the supports they receive:

Billy addressed the room and told us proudly that he loves school. He has special technology installed in the classroom to help him hear his teachers and is flourishing. He loves, maths, is aspiring to be a scientist when he grows up and was recently voted student council representative for his class.

Catherine, mum to one of the youngest children in the program, spoke eloquently of the difficulties in accessing care in regional locations. Without the support of QCoal Foundation Catherine wouldn’t have had the opportunity to speak at the Power of Speech event and meet with influential members of parliament to try and persuade them to prioritise regional healthcare. 

Marley and Sienna each told their story, highlighting for everyone that hearing journeys are different for each person. As twins living with hearing loss, each faced different challenges to adjust to using technology and learning to listen and speak.  

We also remember our many RETAIN graduates, who have achieved hearing milestones thanks to the support from the program and who are now confidently pursuing their dreams.

Philanthropy Week

We were proud to be invited to showcase our work at QCoal Foundation’s Philanthropy Week lunch, in early June. Seated among organisations whose generosity continues to help build resilient communities in regional and remote Queensland through their philanthropic support, we acknowledge the tremendous opportunity to be at the table.

We are exploring two promising connections we made that could lead to future partnerships. One may help increase our access to rural and remote locations, while the other allows us to support their work and give back to the community outside of our own organisation.

Children with hearing loss, living in regional areas face greater difficulties in accessing supports than those children living in metropolitan centres. There are fewer services and health care professionals available outside city centres. The distances to specialist care can be daunting and can be impacted by weather events without notice. Cancelled bookings can mean long waiting times for the next available appointment and not all services can be provided through telehealth.

Billy Hearn is a young man living with hearing loss in regional Queensland. Last year, he addressed a room of parliamentarians in Canberra, where he told his story, outlining some of these challenges. What came through in his speech is his wonderful spirit, the difference that supports and technologies can make and the need for on-going support throughout a child’s school years to help those with hearing loss reach their listening and learning potential.

Billy is part of the Regional Targeted Intervention (RETAIN) program, sponsored by QCoal Foundation. This program is designed to use a hybrid of telehealth and face-to-face sessions to support school-aged children with hearing loss, living in regional Queensland.

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This is Billy’s speech, as he delivered it.
It is as heartwarming as it is authentic.

‘Good morning, ladies and gentlemen,

My name is Billy Hearn.
I am nine years old, and I am in Grade three at St Francis School in Ayr.

When I was born, my mum and dad told me that I failed the newborn hearing test, and soon after I was fitted with hearing aids. I was born with Enlarged Vestibular Aqueducts (EVA), which meant that my hearing got worse over time, and I got my cochlear implants in both ears when I was three years old.

This is where my Hear and Say journey began, and I became a part of this wonderful family. We would make the three-hour drive from Ayr to Townsville and back for speech therapy every week.

Hear and Say have helped me and my family on my journey with hearing loss and have educated all of us along the way.

I have a Roger Touchscreen Mic in the classroom, which my teachers wear all of the time to make sure I can hear everything. My school even organised to have a hearing loop installed in the assembly hall, so I never miss anything.

Recently I was lucky enough to watch my teacher Miss L act as Ariel in ‘The Little Mermaid’.
Miss L and Mr D from the theatre helped me blue tooth my devices to the system so I could hear them acting and singing to my processors. It was amazing.

I love school and have some wonderful friends. I love Maths, Science, playing basketball and also The Mighty Brisbane Broncos. I was also recently voted student council representative for my class.

Having hearing loss can be frustrating when I have to make sure I don’t get my processers wet. Or if it is noisy, I sometimes miss what my friends say. But mum and dad always say I have superhero ears.

When I am reading at night with Dad, he always says that he wishes he had my ears, so he could switch mum off anytime he likes.

Mum and Dad said if I shoot for the stars and study hard, I can be anything I want to be when I grow up. So, I would love to be a scientist.

We would like to say a big thank you to everyone at Hear and Say for all of their support, Doctor A (my ENT), and all of my wonderful teachers at St Francis School in Ayr.

To my wonderful hometown in Ayr including Mr D for being great advocates.
To all my great mates and to my Mum, Dad and Jax for being my biggest fans.

Thank you for having me this morning'.

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Online learning

From tinnitus, to cytomegalovirus, to teaching kids with hearing loss – further your knowledge with our on demand webinars.

2023-24 Annual Report

Read about the families we have supported and the great outcomes our dedicated staff have helped them achieve this year.

Celebrating powerful communicators

Four courageous children and clients of Hear and Say shared their stories at the inaugural Power of Speech event.

Workplace giving

“The program gives our staff a sense of pride in the company and for the work they do at Sci-Fleet." – Allison Scifleet, Guest Experience Manager, Sci-Fleet Motors.

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