48in48 Nonprofit Spotlight: Noise Abatement Society
What exactly is the Noise Abatement Society?
In 1959 John Connell OBE founded the Noise Abatement Society (NAS) in the United Kingdom to solve noise pollution problems for the public benefit. He led the charge to lobby the Noise Abatement Act through the UK Parliament in 1960, making the UK one of the only countries in the world that has noise abatement legislation. In the 60+ years since the Nonprofit was founded, their remit has remained the same — to look at the current challenges the community faces in terms of unwanted and/or damaging noise — neighbor to neighbor, road, industrial, airplanes, entertainment, etc. If you’ve ever lived near unruly neighbors or dealt with incessant road construction noises or endured loud antics from a nearby bar or club, then you likely understand the importance of a Nonprofit like this one!
Impact on the Community
Noise Abatement Society focuses efforts across the UK, and they target their campaigns primarily in areas where they can make the biggest impact for the most people. Where there is no legislation or policy in place, NAS will help develop evidence and educate/inform policy makers on the latest research and thinking to assist getting policies in place. Since people can love and hate the same sounds in different contexts, the legislation they push is often context-related. And they aim to service all people, because anyone at any time can become highly disturbed by noise. Examples include:
- Illness, stress factors, or changes in the built environment around someone
- Some people have higher sensitivity (autism, certain medications, etc.)
- Aural diversity, inclusivity and accessibility
NAS has been working for over six decades to develop laws, regulations, a national noise help line, programs with standards institutions and relationships with researchers. They are at the forefront helping to solve existing problems while simultaneously solving tomorrow’s problems so the future will be better, too. Their work is often incorporated into legislation and policy that improves the built environment around all people.
Love Your Ears
Not many of us think about taking care of our ears and being vigilant about our own hearing health. Enter Noise Abatement Society! They designed the “Love Your Ears” initiative to help raise awareness of how sound affects us. When we better understand how it affects us, we then also understand how the noise we make affects others. NAS aims to help people understand the power of sound, how it affects us, and then we can all be more empathetic about the sounds we make that may affect others.
48in48 Makes a Difference
NAS’ previous website had unfortunately been hacked and crashed, so their fundraising got stalled, and they were facing what to do with no ability to recover the previous website. 48in48 to the rescue! Managing Director Lisa Lavia says,
“Finding 48in48 was like being thrown a lifeline. It meant everything to us.”
The most immediate impact is that people are able to find NAS, get in touch again, and make donations that keep them going. Their community had worried the Nonprofit had folded because of COVID-19 when they couldn’t access the website, and now they all know that NAS is alive and kicking and legislating to reduce noise issues for those in the UK. Lavia and the team are thrilled with the new site and truly value the support that 48in48 has provided. They now have confidence and a sense of security that their website and tools are up-to-date, and they can build upon that strong foundation.
48in48 Volunteers Dazzle NAS
Lavia loved the enthusiasm of the 48in48 volunteers, and had a lot of fun working with them.
“I was blown away at how quickly and professionally the volunteers came to grips with the information we had sent them.”
She says they had dumped a ton of information on them, but their ability to organize it all and transform it into really accurate messaging online was amazing. From identity and graphics through to site organization and copywriting, the entire website miraculously came together in two days. The volunteers were responsive, creative, professional in their communications, and Lavia got the sense that they worked really well together as a team.
Get Involved
Check out Noise Abatement Society at their new website, consider donating to support this important cause, and follow them on Twitter to learn more.
Want to join us as a Volunteer to help Nonprofits like Noise Abatement Society? We’d love to have you. Sign up here for one of our upcoming virtual build events!
