THE newly installed induction loop system to help those with hearing difficulties is proving its worth at Bratton Clovelly Parish Hall, writes Stephen Dunn. Induction loops can enhance a hearing impaired person's enjoyment of an event by compensating for poor acoustics. Hearing aid users can switch their appliances to the 'T' setting and so pick up a signal from an amplifier that filters out background noise and echoes. Okehampton Moving Pictures, regular visitors to Bratton Clovelly hall, presented a screening of The Da Vinci Code and were delighted to discover that the new Induction Loop system could be used in conjunction with their own mobile digital cinema equipment. 'We visit lots of different venues, so it is not possible for us to try to set up our own induction loop system.' said OMP volunteer Tom Barwood. 'But where there is one in place we are confident that that we can incorporate it into our set up one way or another.' Pam Ingham, one of three hearing aid users at the screening, said. 'I switched my hearing aid between settings during the film. The voices were definitely clearer using the new loop.' Future events in Bratton Clovelly scheduled to make use of the loop system include the Wine and Wisdom Evening on March 26, raising money for Devon Aid Korogwe, a water project in Tanzania and The Wren Trust and Red Spider singers 'Like a Boy' production also in March. 'This hall gets used for a variety things,' said event organiser John Codling. 'We hope the new equipment will be used by all of them.' Graham England, chairman of the hall committee, said more improvements are planned, such as resurfacing outside, to make the hall more accessible to the whole community. The new equipment was supplied by Braunton TV Services. It was bought with funds raised by events at the hall and with the help of grants from West Devon District Council, the lottery Awards for All scheme and Lloyds TSB.
