Bucks-based hearing charity to be featured on BBC television show presented by Nicky Campbell twice

Bucks-based charity, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, will be featured on a BBC television broadcast presented by Nicky Campbell.

Operating near to Aylesbury in Saunderton, the charity will be featured on Lifeline, an appeal show which is broadcast on BBC One and repeated on BBC Two.

An appeal from the Charity will be read out from the longserving BBC presenter on channel one at 1:50pm this Sunday (27 February).

It's repeated on BBC Two the following Tuesday on 1 March.

It is hoped that the programme will help raise awareness on how clever canines trained by the charity help transform the lives of deaf people by alerting them to life-saving sounds and providing companionship and emotional support.

During the show, three deaf people, who the charity has helped, share their experiences with hearing loss and the impact their hearing dogs have made on their lives during the ten-minute show.

Nicky is also making the trip to Saunderton to see the charity’s training site and to meet some of the talented pups on the site.

The BBC Radio 5 Live presenter, bravely revealed in his memoir One of the Family how the simple, unconditional love of Maxwell, his Labrador, helped him come to terms with his difficult journey as an adopted child.

Nicky said: “As a dog lover myself, I understand first-hand the difference a dog’s love, companionship and support can make to your life.

"These amazing hearing dogs have the power to help deaf people overcome feelings of loneliness, anxiety and isolation – something that is all too common for people with hearing loss.”

The national charity trains dogs to alert deaf children and adults to important and life-saving sounds they would otherwise miss – sounds that many people take for granted, like the doorbell, alarm clock and danger signals like the fire alarm.

Hearing dogs also provide constant emotional support and companionship, which is equally as important, the charity says.

Many deaf people can experience loneliness and isolation as a result of their invisible disability, which can create lots of barriers and cut them off from people around them.

A spokesman for the charity said: “We can think of no better person to present our BBC Lifeline appeal than Nicky.

"He truly understands how life-changing the support and friendship of a four-legged friend is.

"For so many deaf people, a hearing dog is their lifeline, and we are delighted that Nicky appreciates how important it is for us to train as many dogs as possible to help more deaf people across the country.”

Sunday's show can be viewed on the IPlayer here.

More information on the Bucks not-for-profit organisation is available on its website here.