This month, the Great Big Hearing Check returns with a simple question: Who do you hear for?

Hearing is rarely just about us. It is about the people we show up for every day – our children, partners, friends and colleagues.

It is the conversations around the dinner table, the banter on the worksite, the quiet chats in the car and the laughter shared over coffee.

When hearing begins to decline, it often happens gradually: a missed punchline, a half-heard instruction, the TV volume creeping higher. Many people adjust and dismiss it as minor.

As part of New Zealand Hearing Awareness Month this March, Eastern Bay people can complete the free, four-minute hearing check online at GreatBigHearingCheck.co.nz, or at a Triton Hearing Check Kiosk at selected Unichem and Life Pharmacies, Farmlands stores, and at Triton Hearing clinics nationwide. The hearing check is quick, accessible and designed to help New Zealanders better understand their hearing.

Since 2019, more than 40,000 New Zealanders have taken part in the Great Big Hearing Check. Now in its seventh year, it has become a nationwide event. For many, taking action has been life-changing.

“With my new hearing aids, I am enjoying not saying ‘I beg your pardon’ or second-guessing what people are saying to me. My family are thrilled they don’t have to repeat themselves,” one participant shared.

Another client from Triton Hearing Rotorua, a mechanic with nearly 20 years in the motor industry, said prolonged exposure to loud workshop environments gradually affected his hearing.

“Not until recently at the age of 39… I noticed I was asking people to repeat things to me when they were next to me. So, I took a hearing test with Triton Hearing. It was fast and easy to get an appointment for a quick 15-minute test. I showed up to the clinic – very friendly staff and technician.”

This year, participants who complete the check during March will go in the draw to win a share of more than $10,000 in prizes, including the latest AI hearing technology from Triton Hearing or a $2000 Luxury Escapes gift voucher. In addition, for every check completed online or at a Triton Hearing kiosk, $1 will be donated to the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Foundation to support its School Screening Programme.

Managing director Ben Green said this year’s message centred on connection.

“We know people are more likely to act when they think about who they’re doing it for,” he said. “A hearing check takes just a few minutes, but it can open the door to clearer conversations and stronger relationships. At the same time, every check helps support Kiwi kids through our donation to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Foundation.”

The call to action is simple: take the free Great Big Hearing Check this March and hear for the people who matter most, visit greatbighearingcheck.co.nz.