Prick Up Your Ears Training & Consultancy Community Interest Company
Established as a Community Interest Company in April 2025, PUYE aims to reduce health inequalities by developing and delivering ear acutherapy based wellbeing support with a focus on free provision in deprived areas of Birmingham and the Black Country, like Handsworth which is the second most deprived ward in Birmingham.
We provide a weekly free drop-in session at the Let's Chat Hub at West Bromwich Bus Station giving free ear seeding treatments on a voluntary basis, this is open to anyone for mental and physical health, particularly anxiety, sleep, menopause and joint pain.
In our first year, we attended 28 community events and gave over 450 free ear seed treatments, such as the 2026 Women’s Wellbeing event at Sandwell Council receiving really positive feedback regarding back and knee pain, and menopause symptoms.
We offer workshops and training to organisations in all sectors, including training for a gambling rehabilitation charity, and Black Country NHS Cancer Services.
We’ve delivered ear seeding workshops for primary school staff, mental health and menopause support groups, and training for professionals when we gave five places to volunteers with lived experience who can now give treatments themselves where they volunteer, and with us at events.
Our Director and CEO
Nick Shough, CQSW, B.Soc.Sc
Nick Shough is a qualified social worker and has mainly worked in the drug and alcohol field since 1994, he became a NADA practitioner in 1997 and an advanced (Liver Wellness) Yuan Practitioner in 2007, becoming a NADA GB Trainer in 2023.
Nick Shough is our lead trainer, providing NADA GB auricular acupuncture training and annual supervision for registration and/or re-assessment, he delivers our Ear Acu-seeding Workshops and staff development courses, and leads on the development of partnerships in the community.
Our Directors
Prick Up Your Ears has operated in the ear acupuncture and substance misuse fields since 1999, becoming a registered Community Interest Company in May 2025, thanks to the work and support of our directors:
Nick Shough
Catherine Addy
Darius Wheel
Donate to support our C.I.C.
Support our free community activities on GoFundMe
Prick Up Your Ears C.I.C. is on a mission to bring the benefits of ear acutherapy to those who need it most, and we need your help. Since our launch in April 2025, we’ve attended 30 community events, providing over 500 free ear-seed treatments to individuals for overall wellbeing and various health issues. These treatments are often inaccessible to many, as they’re typically offered only through private channels or limited to drug and alcohol services.
With your support through our GoFundMe page we can continue our voluntary activities and expand our reach. We are applying for funding to set up regular sessions in multiple locations, but every small donation makes a difference. Please share our cause or contribute if you can. Together, we can promote better health and wellness in our community. Thank you for considering our mission!
