If your colleagues are wearing a shirt that's a bit 'out there' today - it's probably for a good cause.

It's Loud Shirt Day today - which is the annual appeal for charities dedicated to enabling deaf children to receive cochlear implants or hearing aids.

There are 400 children across the country currently in cochlear implant programmes.

General Manager of the Southern Cochlear Implant Programme Neil Heslop said the surgery changes children's lives.

"Without a cochlea implant it can be the difference between a child developing spoken language and not developing spoken language."

This year there's a 'beach theme' - and Mr Heslop said he'll be doing his bit to fit in, going with an Hawaiian look

Mr Heslop said he will be doing his bit during this years Beach themed day, opting for a tropical look.

"Something Hawaiian on the top and maybe jandals, shorts and a bit of zinc sunscreen and I'll probably be wearing some sort of fun hat as well," he said.