Churches, chapels & places of worship
Hearing loops for churches and chapels
Helping people with hearing loss follow every service, wedding, funeral and concert. We advise on, install and test hearing loops and Auracast systems in churches and chapels, with cable routes planned around the building and the information your diocese or church authority needs.
Why churches need hearing access
Church buildings are some of the hardest places to hear in. Stone walls, high roofs and hard floors make speech echo, and the people who most need to hear clearly are often sitting furthest from the lectern. A good PA makes things louder, but louder is not the same as clearer for someone wearing a hearing aid.
An induction loop sends the sound from your microphones straight to hearing aids and cochlear implant processors set to the T (telecoil) setting. Because the loop carries the direct microphone feed, it reduces the effects of echo and background noise, so the listener hears the person speaking much more clearly.
Many churches already have a loop that was fitted years ago and nobody is sure it works. Testing it is often the first step.
What a church system usually involves
Microphones and the feed. The loop is only as good as what goes into it. Lectern, pulpit, altar and radio microphones should all reach the loop amplifier through the church’s sound system, so whoever is speaking is heard. Music can be included where it helps.
Even coverage. Long naves, side aisles and chancels make it hard for a single wire around the walls to cover every pew evenly. We design the loop for the seating that people actually use, and test at several points, not just in the middle.
Spill into other rooms. A loop signal can carry into a church hall, vestry or neighbouring room. Where that matters, for example where a second loop is in use next door, we design to keep the signal where it is needed.
Cable routes. We use existing ducts and voids where possible, and run cable under carpet runners, along pew platforms or behind skirting. The aim is a system nobody notices unless they are using it.
Signs and switching on. The loop symbol in the porch and at the bookstall tells visitors the system is there. Clear instructions mean that whoever opens up on a Sunday can check it is on.
Permissions for listed and historic churches
Most church buildings need some form of permission before a permanent installation. The process depends on the denomination:
- Church of England and Church in Wales: works are controlled through the faculty system, with advice from the Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC). Some minor works only need the archdeacon’s consent. Your DAC can confirm what applies to a hearing loop in your church.
- Other denominations: some have their own internal consent procedures. Listed buildings outside these arrangements need listed building consent from the local authority.
We can provide what the application usually needs: a description of the work, a drawing of the cable route, the equipment to be used and how it will be fixed, and confirmation that the installation is reversible.
Auracast and portable systems in church
Auracast lets compatible hearing aids, earbuds and supplied receivers pick up a broadcast directly. It can sit alongside a loop, and it is useful for people whose hearing aids do not have a telecoil. Not every hearing aid can receive Auracast yet, so in most churches a loop remains the foundation.
For occasional events, such as an outdoor service, a funeral in a crematorium chapel or a talk in the church hall, our Mobile Hearing System can be brought in without any installation.
Testing an existing church loop
If your church already has a loop, we can measure it against IEC 60118-4 and give you a written report. Often the problem is simple: the amplifier has been switched off, a microphone is not routed to it, or the volume has been set wrong. Sometimes the loop wire has been damaged during building work. Either way, you’ll know where you stand before spending money. More about hearing loop testing and repair.
Why talk to us
Our founder, Mike Maloney, is a lifelong hearing-aid user and spent years installing hearing loops as part of his role at Deafness Support Network. We understand what it is like to sit in a pew and not catch the sermon, and we design church systems with that in mind. More about us.
We’re based in Wrexham. Our core installation area is North Wales, Cheshire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester and Shropshire, and we take on larger church projects elsewhere by arrangement.