New sensory support service

The new service, Wight Sense, will provide specialist sensory support for local people including assessments, individual home based visits, mobility training, practical help and advice and help for people to remain independent and confident in their daily lives.

Wight Sense will be providing support to those living with hearing loss, sight loss or anyone living with any level of loss of both of these senses.

Lisa Hollyhead, chief executive of Sight for Wight, said: "The majority of our members living with sight loss have age related conditions, and the majority of people living with hearing loss have age related conditions too.

"There is therefore a substantial cross over of people whom we already support as they are living with both sight and hearing loss too.

"Being able to offer full help and support to these members into their daily living is something we are excited to be able to do."

The charity will continue its work of 155 years in supporting people living with sight loss with the same activities, newsletter, information and support that it currently offers but will now also be providing this additional service through the Wight Sense team.

Lisa added: "As a charity, we are very excited to be given the chance to complete this service for our current members and indeed to be able to start to provide help to other Islanders living with a sensory impairment."

There is no minimum level of sensory loss required to access the service, so anyone with failing sight or hearing can contact the service for support.

The service is happy to receive self-referrals or a referral from family, friends or any professional who is working with a person who may benefit from this specialist support, with the person’s consent.

Councillor Karl Love, Cabinet member for adult social care, said: "I am delighted that Sight for Wight has been given this opportunity to provide sensory support services to provide support for Island people who are visually impaired or have sight loss/hearing loss or dual-sensory loss.

"Inclusion and mental wellbeing are very important to everyone. Sensory loss is very often a slow onset and people often gradually withdraw and isolation can take over without realisation. The sooner we can offer help, reassurance and support the safer and more secure people are able to feel."

Wight Sense delivered by Sight for Wight, based in Carisbrooke Road, Newport, will start operating the new service from 1 April 2022.

People can get in touch by calling: (01983) 240222, email: info@wightsense.org.uk or visit: www.wightsense.org.uk