UP CLOSE: With Bollington Hearing Centre's latest full-time hire Olivia Kewney
Bollington Hearing Centre has a new full-time ear care specialist, and it may be a very familiar face to some.
Olivia Kewney (20) is the latest hearing aid dispenser and ear care specialist to work full-time for Bollington Hearing Centre, of Wellington Road.
But eagle-eyed (or should we say eared?) Maxonians may know that Olivia has actually been a part of the business since last year.
That is because she an apprenticeship with Bollington Hearing Centre, as part of her foundation degree apprenticeship, before now joining the independent audiologists full-time.
But despite being just a few months in, Olivia is not resting on her laurels, and is continuing to push herself and develop her skills. Macclesfield Nub News met with Olivia to find out more.
"I've always wanted to help people," said Olivia.
"I am fully-qualified in all methods of wax removal, being micro suction, irrigation, and instrumentation, and can also perform hearing tests including speech audiometry."
Olivia is a third-generation audiologist, and indeed, her mum, dad and grandad are all audiologists and her step-dad also works in the business.
"I have been around audiology forever," she revealed.
"I had not engaged with it as a kid, but I guess you pick up things.
"The impression material [used to make a mould of someone's ear], I used to make play-dough animals out of when I was younger.
"I actually wanted to be a nurse at first. I've always wanted to help people.
"I actually booked an open day at a university for an audiology course, without my parents knowing. Because I thought, if I tell them, they will want me to do it.
"But I did that, found out I did know more than I thought I knew, and the rest is history."
Olivia recently graduated from Leicester's De Montfort University, one of the leading UK audiology institutions, to become a fully-qualified hearing aid dispenser.
And since, she has wasted no time getting stuck in full-time at Bollington Hearing Centre, and the firm's other local hearing centres in Buxton and Leek.
"I love working at Bollington Hearing Centre," she said.
"I always look forward to seeing clients.
"Sometimes you think, ooh I recognise that name, they used to childmind me or used to teach me, or they are a friend of a friend, there is always a way that someone knows each other in Bollington and everyone is really friendly."
But it is not just hearing care that Olivia is talented at. She also has an ear for singing, and used to perform at St. Oswald's Church in Bollington.
She currently sings with MADS Theatre, and also enjoys horse riding near Macclesfield Forest.
But as proud as she is to serve the local community, she is also keen to travel within her profession, and do good on a global scale.
"Last year I went on a charity trip to India to provide hearing care, which was so exciting," she recalled.
"I'd love to do something like that again, and travel as an audiologist, helping people.
"It was rewarding experience, despite not speaking the language, learning how to do the assessments with only mime.
"And we don't treat children here, so to treat kids in India it was another thing for me to challenge myself and to learn.
"I also go to the Isle of Man once a month, as there are only two audiologists on the whole island. And when I first went, there was no private wax removal specialist there."
Breaking new ground is something Olivia has even caused within the family business.
Before Olivia, Bollington Hearing Centre, or any of their sister hearing centres, had never hired an apprentice.
Now, Bollington Hearing Centre are on their third apprentice after Olivia's apprenticeship-to-full-time success. As proud boss and proud mum Clare Kewney, explains.
"I am really passionate about our staff where they want to continue with their development," said Clare.
"Nearly all sort of staff are on some sort of training programme of their choice to further develop them.
"And I love having Olivia in the business. Since Olivia has qualified, we have taken on two other current apprentices."
Fellow managing director Brad Snelling, who is Olivia's step-father, added: "Part of our ethos in a nutshell is we treat people how we want to be treated ourselves."
"And that works from the top down, everyone that works within the organisation has that same ethos because that's how we work. This is just how we are.
"And I think it is reflected by the people that come through the door, I think you attract people by how you present yourselves."
"Everyone has been really fabulous seizing the opportunities," added Clare.
"We have had people progress from receptionist to hearing care assistant."
It is partly down to this staff retention that has led to the rapid expansion of the family business.
Bollington's success was swiftly followed by a hearing centre in Leek. They also have a site in nearby Buxton.
As well as the aforementioned towns, Olivia's family has hearing centres in nearby places like Cheadle (Staffordshire) and Biddulph too.
2024 has seen two new hearing centres open, one in the High Peak, and one in Cheshire West.
Chapel-en-le-Frith Hearing Centre opened in the summer, and a new centre in Northwich has just opened as well.
And as the business continues to broaden horizons, so does Olivia herself.
"I would really love to do my top up bachelor's degree next year," revealed Olivia.
"I have a foundation degree at the moment, which means you can join the final year of the bachelor's degree, and top my existing foundation degree to come out with a bachelor's of science. From there, I would like to do my master's degree and then potentially got for a PhD.
"I just want to go as far as I can really and help as many people as possible, so if having more education can set me up for that, it's a win in my eyes."
"I will still be working here though, as all the lectures are on one day a week.
"It will be difficult, it takes 15 months, but I'm ready for the new adventure, I'm ready for the challenge."
As post-COVID NHS waiting lists continues to mount, seeing an independent audiologist could get you an appointment the very next day after your enquiry.
And indeed, one of the perks of supporting a business like Bollington Hearing Centre is that you will generally be dealing with the same people every time. And of course, you can smile in the knowledge that you are supporting a family business.
According to recent analysis from ADR UK, there are 4.8 million family businesses in the UK, which were directly responsible for 13.9 million jobs in 2020. That is about 85.9% of all UK private sector businesses.
Olivia shared what it is like to work for a family business, straight out of university.
"Even though it would be nice to have preferential treatment, I would like to thank them for not doing so," she said.
"For example, ahead of next year's bachelor's degree I had to make a PowerPoint to present to my parents, about why it was beneficial for me, and the business!
"It took me a while to separate the way you talk to your parents at work, and at home.
"But they have been really good at enforcing that boundary.
"For example, I am kept away from their meetings, as the three directors.
"My brother does not do audiology, but all of us talk about it at the dinner table. It must be so dull for him!"
Olivia had this advice for anyone, particularly those around her age, for going to work in a family business.
"Put the boundaries in the place to start with so everyone knows where the lines are professional to personal, because it is hard to put it in place afterwards," she advised.
"And that is for all involved.
"As much as I love audiology, as a family we could easily talk about it over dinner.
"So it is important to make sure we all switch off and get some down time too."
After her bachelor's Olivia would like to do a PhD in vestibular studies (part inside the ears which helps with balance), as not many clinics offer vestibular care in the private market.
"The other thing I am really interested in is gene therapy," she confessed.
"You can identify newborn deafness and bring the hearing back, there have been studies where they inject MRNA into the cochlea, a template of DNA, and the body can start fixing hearing."
And it is not her just future that Olivia is optimistic about.
"Ear health is coming on more prominently now [in the public conscience] than it used to be," she said.
"I know personally, when talking to friends, they do not have the same stigma or negative feelings towards hearing aids that is apparent in the older generations and I think this is because there is more awareness around hearing health and noise exposure.
"But, also we are so much more used to have things in our ears like using headphones that needing hearing aids doesn't create the same feeling."
"We are all aware of noise exposure, and Apple is even putting hearing protection into the next generation of AirPods."
Clearly, the days of large, chunky, beepy, hearing aids are long gone. And with bright professionals and curious minds like Olivia, the future in local ear care looks (and sounds) very bright.
From hearing tests to assistive listening devices, you can learn more about Bollington Hearing Centre's services on THIS LINK.
Macclesfield: You can arrange an appointment with Bollington Hearing Centre via 01625 409792,
Click the red link in this sentence to head to the Bollington Hearing Centre website.
Or click HERE to read to their Facebook.
Macclesfield Nub News' previous article with Bollington Hearing Centre can be read HERE.
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