A WOMAN who lost her hearing at the age of 40 is to auction wedding hats to help youngsters suffering from hearing problems.

Eunice Birch, of Sutton-on-the-Forest, will hold the event at The George Hotel in Easingwold on March 29 and she already has hundreds of hats to sell.

People from all over York have donated the hats and several local shops have been involved. The hats will be auctioned by Andy Galloway, of estate agents Hunters.

Eunice, who worked as a teacher, became deaf relatively late in life. She has since raised funds by collecting numerous items from jewellery to ceramics.

She said: “All the things that are needed to help deaf children are not provided on the NHS. The sooner a deaf child gets a hearing implant the better. The proceeds will not just go towards children though, but also those who become deaf later in life.”

The money raised will go to the Ear Trust and will help procide equipment including hearing implants, video equipment, and iPads which feature special apps.

The auction will also help fund musical instruments and hearing equipment when it needs renewing.