Southern Cochlear Implant Programme

11/10/2026

The Sir Roy McKenzie Deaf Scholarship is now open to eligible students studying at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.

The scholarship aims to encourage and support deaf students to achieve a tertiary qualification, with two scholarships available:

💰 $5,000 for undergraduate students
💰 $10,000 for postgraduate students
📚 Tenure of up to two years, subject to satisfactory academic progress

📅 Applications close: 1 November 2026 at 4.30pm

For full eligibility criteria and application information, visit the Sir Roy McKenzie Deaf Scholarship page.

The purpose of this scholarship is to encourage and enable more deaf students to achieve a tertiary qualification by studying at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.

09/10/2026

Loud Shirt Day is just around the corner!

We’re getting excited for Friday 16 October, when people across Australia and New Zealand will be getting loud to support children with hearing loss.
There are lots of ways to get involved. Wear your loudest shirt, organise a fundraiser at school or work, host a morning tea, get your friends and whānau involved, or simply make a donation.

The Hearing House audiologist Nick Jones is going the extra mile this year, taking on the Auckland Marathon Half Marathon in November to raise funds for Loud Shirt Day. Awesome work Nick!

🔗 Donate to Nick’s fundraiser: https://aucklandmarathon26.grassrootz.com/loud-shirt-day/nicholas-jones

07/10/2026

The Southern Cochlear Implant Programme (SCIP) is pleased to mark an important new chapter for cochlear implant services in Aotearoa New Zealand with the establishment of the Aotearoa Cochlear Implant Programme (ACIP).

ACIP is the new national programme for publicly funded cochlear implant services, bringing together SCIP and The Hearing House within a nationally coordinated service.

“For SCIP, ACIP represents an opportunity to take what we have learned over more than two decades of providing cochlear implant services and contribute that experience to a genuinely national programme,” says SCIP Chief Executive Neil Heslop.

“It gives us the opportunity to work more closely with our colleagues at The Hearing House, while keeping the relationships, specialist expertise and local connections that are so important to the people and whānau we support.”

What does ACIP mean for SCIP clients and whānau?

For people currently receiving services from SCIP, our message is simple: your care continues.

While ACIP represents an important change in how cochlear implant services are organised nationally, it does not change the commitment SCIP has made to the communities we serve.

Instead, it provides an opportunity to strengthen those services through greater national coordination, shared expertise and closer collaboration.

​Read the full story to learn more about ACIP here: https://scip.co.nz/introducing-the-aotearoa-cochlear-implant-programme/

04/10/2026

You may remember Nicole Berry, who featured in our latest SCIP newsletter alongside her parents, Maree and Richard. At the time, Nicole was expecting her first baby with fiancé Beren.

We’re delighted to share that their wee girl, Ruby, arrived on 9 July, weighing a healthy 3.44kg. Now 11 weeks old, Ruby is clearly keeping her parents – and her grandparents – very happy! 🥰

As a cochlear implant user, Nicole has also been thinking practically about life with a new baby. She already had a Bellman & Symfon system at home, with a vibrating pad connected to her smoke alarms and doorbell. During her pregnancy, she was able to add a baby monitor to the same system, thanks to Your Way l Kia Roha.

For Nicole, it has made a huge difference.

“What a game changer! I now no longer have to worry about not hearing Ruby at night and when Beren isn't home.”

Congratulations to Nicole, Beren and their beautiful new arrival, Ruby! 💕👶

02/10/2026

SCIP is heading to Dunedin for an informal CI User Group gathering for adult cochlear implant users and their family members or support people.

Join SCIP Rehabilitationist Susan Kinley and Community Relationship Manager Belinda van der Monde for an opportunity to meet others, share experiences and connect with members of the SCIP team.

There’ll be time to mingle before a short presentation, with tea, coffee and biscuits provided. ☕🍪

📅 Tuesday 20 October 2026
🕒 3:00–4:30 pm
📍 Simpson Room, Dunedin City Baptist Church
19 Main South Road, Concord

Please drive to the rear of the building, where the rooms are named.

Please RSVP to Susan Kinley at [email protected] by Monday 19 October.

We’d love to see you there!

01/10/2026

MED-EL has announced the launch a totally invisible cochlear implant, with all components, including the microphone, implanted beneath the skin

Unlike conventional cochlear implants, the the TICI UNICO has no externally worn sound processor. The technology is designed to provide continuous access to sound throughout the day and night – including while sleeping, exercising and even during water-based activities.

TICI UNICO has received CE Mark approval and is currently being introduced in various European markets. Availability, eligibility and access will depend on individual countries and healthcare systems.

We will keep you updated on when this new technology is available in New Zealand.

🔗 Find out more about TICI UNICO via MED-EL’s TICI website here - https://hearlife.medel.com/campaigns/tici

30/09/2026

Recently, SCIP’s Community Relationship Manager Belinda van der Monde and Rehabilitationist Susan Kinley headed south to Invercargill for a Southland CI User Group meet-up.

It was a friendly and welcoming gathering, with 12 attendees coming together to share their experiences and personal journeys to receiving a cochlear implant and beyond.

There was a great mix of information sharing, humour and some more emotional moments as attendees talked about their experiences and connected with others who understand life with a cochlear implant.

Belinda shared some interesting information about SCIP, including statistics and fundraising, while Susan provided helpful reminders about getting the most from their processors and the rehabilitation and support services available.

It was a wonderful opportunity to catch up with our Southland community, share experiences and learn from one another.

Thank you to everyone who came along and helped make the gathering such a warm and enjoyable afternoon. 💙

28/09/2026

The Honda Foundation has named Professor Graeme M. Clark AC and Dr Ingeborg Hochmair as joint recipients of the 2026 Honda Prize, recognising their independent and parallel contributions to the development of the multichannel cochlear implant.

Working independently in Australia and Austria during the 1970s, Professor Clark and Dr Hochmair each helped transform cochlear implants from devices that could convey the presence and rhythm of sound into multichannel systems capable of supporting meaningful speech understanding.

Their pioneering research, development and clinical work helped lay the foundations for the cochlear implant technology used by more than one million people worldwide today.

Professor Clark led the team at the University of Melbourne that performed its first multichannel cochlear implant surgery in 1978. Dr Hochmair began her cochlear implant research in Vienna in 1975 and, alongside Dr Erwin Hochmair and Professor Kurt Burian, achieved implantation of a multichannel device in 1977. She later co-founded MED-EL with Dr Erwin Hochmair.

The 47th Honda Prize ceremony will take place in Tokyo on 16 November 2026.

A remarkable recognition of two people whose pioneering work has helped shape the technology that has changed the lives of cochlear implant recipients around the world.

Read more: https://hearingreview.com/inside-hearing/research/honda-prize-2026-awarded-to-cochlear-implant-pioneers

Pictured: L-R Professor Clark and Dr Hochmair

26/09/2026

We’re delighted to share that SCIP has received a donation of $56,000 from the Hugo Charitable Trust towards two vehicles to support our work across Aotearoa.

Our team travels extensively to provide cochlear implant services, support and rehabilitation to children and adults, as well as their whānau. Having reliable vehicles helps our team reach the people and communities who rely on SCIP, wherever they are in their hearing journey.

We’re incredibly grateful to the Hugo Charitable Trust for supporting SCIP and helping us continue to deliver our services to people throughout New Zealand.

The Hugo Charitable Trust was established in 2017 by Maryanne Green in honour of her late father, Hugh Green, whose lifelong commitment to helping people in need, particularly in social and medical areas, continues through the Trust. Since its establishment, the Trust has donated more than $23 million to causes across New Zealand.

Thank you, Hugo Charitable Trust, for helping us continue our work and make a difference for people with profound hearing loss and their whānau. 💙

If your business or organisation is interested in supporting SCIP and helping us provide life-changing cochlear implant services, we’d love to hear from you.

📧 Contact our Community Relationship Manager, Belinda van der Monde, at [email protected]

24/09/2026

After more than 30 years volunteering with Guides and Scouts in the UK and New Zealand, Sophia Sturgess has dedicated much of her life to helping young people develop confidence, skills and a sense of belonging.

In 2025, that commitment was recognised when Sophia received the Leadership Dame Patsy Reddy Award for Diversity and Inclusion at Scouts Aotearoa’s Leadership Weekend.

A cochlear implant recipient through SCIP, Sophia says her implant has helped her continue pursuing the things that matter to her — from supporting young people in Scouting to communicating with leaders and families.

Her journey has also included overcoming barriers, adapting to unexpected challenges and finding new ways to pursue her goals.

“Embrace challenges, stay open-minded, and avoid thinking, ‘I can’t do it.’ You can succeed; you just need to discover the right path to achieve your goals.”

Read Sophia’s story on the SCIP website, including her experiences with her cochlear implant, her passion for inclusion and the challenges she has overcome along the way.

Read more here >> https://scip.co.nz/dt_testimonials/sophia/