Southern Cochlear Implant Programme

04/06/2026

One of our patients recently told us about a fantastic New Zealand company making 3D-printed retention clips designed to help keep cochlear implant processors securely in place.

Stay Put Clips are lightweight coil caps with retention clips (compatible with Nucleus 7 & Nucleus 8 processors) that help reduce "coil offs" during everyday activities. They're ideal for active children and adults who enjoy:

✨ Sports and PE
✨ Dancing and gymnastics
✨ Running and active play
✨ Swimming

Designed and made in New Zealand, these clips are available in a range of fun colours and are a practical option for anyone looking for extra security and confidence while wearing their cochlear implant.

If you'd like to learn more, check out Electric Wildflower’s page or get in touch with them directly for ordering information.

We love hearing about innovative solutions that help our patients get the most out of their hearing technology

After a long journey, printing and testing and back to the drawing board. Here we are …

Stay Put Clips – Cochlear Implant Coil cap with Retention Clips (N7 & N8 compatible)

Small and light weight 3D printed clips designed to help keep cochlear implant coils more secure during everyday movement.

Built for real life:
✨ Sports & PE
✨ Dancing & gymnastics
✨ Running & active play
✨ Swimming

Stay Put Clips are designed to help reduce “coil offs” so both kids & adults can move more freely and confidently without constant readjusting.

Lightweight, low-profile, and made for active CI users

🌈 available in 10 cap colours & 4 clip colours
💛 $20 each or 2 for $30 + postage

📍Made in NZ
📩 Message to order or ask questions

02/06/2026

A huge thank you to St George's Hospital, who have supported SCIP for over 10 years. St George's support helps SCIP continue to provide valuable connection, information, and support for cochlear implant recipients and their whānau across our regions.

Blair Roxborough, CEO of St George's Hospital, said: “We’re proud to support several organisations that are close to our hearts, including SCIP. Their life-changing work offers vital support to cochlear implant users as they navigate their hearing journey. It’s an honour to contribute to a cause that has such a profound impact on people’s lives.”

We at SCIP are incredibly grateful for St Georges ongoing support.

If your business or organisation is interested in making a difference by supporting SCIP, we would love to connect with you. Your support helps profoundly deaf children and adults regain access to sound through cochlear implant technology.

30/05/2026

An exciting development coming out of the UK is drawing attention across the global hearing loss and cochlear implant community 👂

A major new trial, led by researchers in Cambridge, will investigate the benefits of providing bilateral (two-sided) cochlear implants to adults with profound hearing loss.

Research like this adds to the growing understanding of how hearing with two cochlear implants may impact everyday experiences, including following conversations in noisy environments, identifying where sounds are coming from, and reducing the effort that listening can sometimes require. Publicly funded adults in New Zealand typically receive one cochlear implant.

The study will follow more than 250 adults and explore not only hearing outcomes, but also wellbeing, communication and the wider impacts on daily life.

It will be interesting to watch how research like this may shape future conversations around cochlear implant access and outcomes.

Read more here👇

University of Birmingham researchers support new LUCIA trial that will assess the impact of bilateral cochlear implants on deaf adults.

28/05/2026

Congratulations to David Pluck on being formally invested as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to education 👏

David, who was born moderately to severely deaf, has spent decades advocating for equity and inclusion in education, helping ensure children can learn alongside their peers within their local communities.

Alongside training as a teacher and psychologist, David and his wife established Rainbow Reading, donating more than 100,000 books to low-decile schools across New Zealand. His contribution has also included helping establish Whakatū Kōhanga and whānau classes in Nelson, supporting the development of female psychologists, contributing to Māori cultural advisory guidelines, and establishing the Ministry of Education’s Intensive Wraparound Service Te Kahu Tōī.

Many of you may also recognise David from his recent story with us, where he shared his cochlear implant journey and reflected on the importance of connection and communication.

This recognition is a fitting acknowledgement of a lifetime dedicated to making a difference for tamariki, whānau, and communities across Aotearoa.

Congratulations David — a well-deserved honour 💙

Pictured: David Pluck and Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro

26/05/2026

A reminder that both our SCIP clinics in Christchurch and Lower Hutt will be closed on Monday 1 June 2026 for the King's Birthday.

We hope everyone has a fantastic long weekend.

24/05/2026

When David Pluck takes his cochlear implant off at night, the world goes quiet.

“It’s actually a bit dangerous how little you can hear,” he says.

In this reel, David shares why making simple safety changes at home — including switching to a vibrating smoke alarm — has become so important.

With colder weather here, it’s also a timely reminder to check your smoke alarms are working properly 🔥

For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, standard smoke alarms may not provide enough warning — particularly at night when hearing aids or cochlear implants are removed. Specialised smoke alarms can include features like flashing strobe lights and vibrating alerts to help ensure you’re notified in an emergency.

If you're deaf or hard of hearing, you may also be eligible for funding support for specialised smoke alarms.

Contact Your Way l Kia Roha for a free assessment.

📞 0800 008 011
📧 [email protected]

22/05/2026

An exciting development coming out of Australia is helping level the playing field for Deaf and hard of hearing athletes in contact sport. 🏉👏

Steeden has launched Hear Gear — innovative protective headgear designed specifically for Deaf and hard of hearing players who wear hearing devices or implants. Unlike traditional headgear, which can muffle sound and make communication on the field difficult, Hear Gear has been redesigned with a recess for hearing devices, allowing sound to reach the implant more clearly while still providing protection.

For QAFLW player Jamie Howell, trying Hear Gear for the first time meant hearing the game while playing on the field for the very first time.

“Hear Gear is a very real game changer for not only me, but for the Deaf and hard of hearing community in Australia and around the world,” Jamie says.

The initiative was developed through a partnership between Steeden and Colgate Australia and New Zealand , with hopes the technology could eventually extend beyond AFL into other contact sports.

Would you use one?

20/05/2026

For Nicole Berry, cochlear implant technology isn’t something extraordinary — it’s simply part of everyday life.

Nicole, who works at Puke Ariki in New Plymouth, lives with Usher Syndrome and wears a cochlear implant alongside a hearing aid. Usher Syndrome is something she shares with her mother Maree, who also has a cochlear implant. Her father Richard has one too.

From running craft nights at the library to preparing for the arrival of her first baby with fiance Beren, for Nicole, the implant is not a cure, a limitation or a statement. It’s just part of how she moves through a full and busy life.

In our latest newsletter, Nicole shares her experience of hearing new sounds for the first time, navigating the sensory overload that can come with hearing technology, and why she’d rather people ask questions than make assumptions.

“It’s all just normal to me,” she says. “I just have a new piece of technology that makes hearing a bit easier.”

Read Nicole’s full story in the latest newsletter here >> https://scip.co.nz/april-2026-newsletter/

18/05/2026

17/05/2026

This year, SCIP is once again celebrating Loud Shirt Day a little bit differently! The Hearing House has teamed up with First Voice member centres across Australia, and they will be coordinating the event this year.

Everything you love about Loud Shirt Day stays the same. Mark your calendar for Friday 16 October 2026 and get ready to wear your boldest, brightest outfit in support of people with hearing differences.

It’s a day to celebrate sound, raise awareness, and help fund life-changing services delivered by the Southern Cochlear Implant Programme, The Hearing House , and our Australian partners. This year’s event brings a vibrant trans-Tasman twist—uniting communities through colour, connection, and shared purpose.

Want to be part of it? Here’s how:

⭐ Sign up at loudshirtday.org and start fundraising

⭐ Donate to support people with hearing differences

⭐ Like and share to help spread the word

Head to www.loudshirtday.org to learn more and get involved!