Wee County Hub brings services directly to blind and deaf people in Clackmannanshire.
A new community hub that brings support services directly to people with sight and hearing loss in Clackmannanshire has opened its doors.
The Wee County Hub, delivered by Forth Valley Sensory Centre, is based within Tullibody Civic Centre and is open to anyone in the area who has sensory loss and their families.
It will provide a range of social activities and opportunities as part of the charity’s work to tackle isolation associated with blindness and deafness, which will in turn help build people’s confidence and independence.
Forth Valley Sensory Centre is based in Falkirk and is available to people across central Scotland including Stirling and Clackmannanshire.
However, the new hub means the charity now has a physical presence in Clackmannanshire and can bring its services directly to residents in the area who need it.
A taster summer youth programme will take place over the next two weeks on July 5 and 12, and lipreading classes will be offered at the hub from August.
Weekly drop-in sessions will start on Thursday, July 20, during which replacement hearing aid batteries will be available for NHS hearing aid users.
The charity’s popular ‘Voices Off’ conversational British Sign Language classes will begin on the evening of Wednesday, August 2.
Evening lip reading classes will also be available from August. Voices Off and lip reading classes will take place at Hawkhill Community Centre in Alloa.
They are free to attend and can help to reduce isolation for those who are deaf or have hearing loss.
Jacquie Winning, chief executive of Forth Valley Sensory Centre, said: “We are incredibly excited to announce the launch of our new Wee County Hub in Clackmannanshire.
“This hub will bring our services directly to people with sensory loss in this area who may not previously have been able to visit our Centre in Falkirk.
“We will be delivering a range of social opportunities for those with sight and/or hearing loss, with some activities starting next week.
“Having hearing loss or a visual impairment can be extremely isolating and we want people to know we are here to support them and improve their lives.
“We would encourage anyone who is interested and would like further information to contact us.”
