Molly’s mammoth sponsored silence for those who never hear quiet

23-year-old Molly Porteous from Clovenstone, Edinburgh is challenging herself to complete a mammoth four-day sponsored silence to raise awareness and funds for the British Tinnitus Association (BTA), the only charity dedicated to supporting people with tinnitus, a debilitating condition that affects almost 60,000 adults in the city of Edinburgh alone.

“I will be completing a sponsored silence from the 4-7 February. During this time, I will be working my part time job at Morrisons Hunters Tryst and moving into a new flat so it will be a bit of a challenge!” Morrisons will be generously match-funding any donations made to Molly’s fundraising page, meaning each donation will be doubled.

Through sharing her fundraising activity, Molly will also be supporting Tinnitus Week which begins on 1 February. The BTA are campaigning to make sure that everyone with tinnitus gets the right information, from the right place, at the right time. The BTA are asking people to share their experience of tinnitus as part of their social media campaign #ThisIsMySilence to raise awareness.

Molly shared “Tinnitus affects everyone differently. For me, it almost took away someone I love. For that reason, I am hoping to raise awareness of the effects it can have and to raise money so that we can all hope for a cure.”. She aims to raise funds and awareness through her challenge to support the British Tinnitus Association’s vision, “A world where no one suffers from tinnitus”.

The BTA’s Fundraising Officer Jess Pollard commented “We really appreciate Molly’s support in taking on such a challenge to help the tinnitus community and the work we do. We’re so grateful that she has chosen to use her experience with tinnitus to raise awareness!”

Please help Molly hit her £1000 target and raise vital funds by donating online at www.tinnitus.org.uk/fundraisers/silence-tinnitus or calling 0114 250 9933 to make a donation over the phone to the British Tinnitus Association. If you want to get involved in fundraising or Tinnitus Week, please email fundraising@tinnitus.org.uk

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Press contact:
Nic Wray, Communications Manager
nic@tinnitus.org.uk
0114 250 9933

Editors Notes

• The British Tinnitus Association (BTA) is an independent charity that supports over one million people living with tinnitus each year, and advises medical professionals around the world. It is the primary source of support and information for people with tinnitus in the UK. 
• Tinnitus is the sensation of hearing noises in your ear or head when there is no external cause. The noise can have virtually any quality including ringing, buzzing, hissing and whistling.
• Around 1 in 3 people will experience tinnitus at some point in their life. Over 7.1 million adults in the UK are living with persistent tinnitus, and for 10% of them, it can severely impact their quality of life, affecting sleep, mood, concentration, employment and relationships.
• There is not currently a cure for tinnitus, however, there are several strategies that can be helpful in learning to manage the condition.
• Tinnitus costs the NHS £750 million annually, with a cost to society of £2.7 billion per year.