Big Ears Trust — community impact

Big Ears Trust

Big Ears Trust is a non-profit voluntary association formed by Stephen Blades, CEO of Elephants in Main Street International. It has two connected purposes: improving access and support for people experiencing hearing disability, and helping protect the continued existence and survival of elephants.

Hearing access and support

The Trust aims to equip children and adults with the technology, skills and support that can help them lead productive, happy and contributing lives. The retained public page identifies hearing aids as a practical access need for children in South Africa who do not have them.

2026 focus

The legacy Trust page states a 2026 fundraising goal of R600,000 to help 40 children in South Africa access hearing aids. This is presented as the Trust's stated 2026 focus, not as a completed result or an ongoing guarantee.

St Vincent School for the Deaf

Elephants in Main Street describes a partnership with St Vincent School for the Deaf. The retained public material says the team has coached and trained the school's management team and staff alongside the Trust's wider hearing-access purpose.

Trust stewardship

The legacy Trust page identifies Stephen Langton Blades as founder, and Melissa Blades, Sabrina Ann Blades and Steven Wright as trustees. It lists their associated public roles as CEO, Managing Director, Global Technology and Operations Manager (all at Elephants in Main Street International), and Managing Owner and CEO of Team Forward (Pty) Ltd respectively. These are retained legacy-page titles and should not be read as a confirmation of current appointment status.

Elephant conservation

A second Trust objective is conservation: helping protect and support the continued existence and survival of elephants on the planet.

Get involved

If you or your organisation would like to get involved, contact the Trust at accounts@bigearstrust.co.za or call +27 861 353 353. The public site provides these routes for a conversation; it does not process donations or promise a particular outcome.