A Hull based charity has received a funding boost to support some of Hull and East Yorkshire’s most isolated people during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sight Support Hull and East Yorkshire has received more than £67,000 of emergency government funding distributed by The National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF), which will help it to provide support to hundreds of local blind and partially sighted people.
The funds will allow the charity to expand its Connect and Care project and develop a new range of services to reach visually impaired people in their own homes at a time when the charity’s usual face-to-face support services are still unable to take place.
From monthly news and activity packs to “Talking Together” video conferencing chat groups, audio books clubs to crafting bags, technology training sessions to guest speakers using audio conference calls, the aim is to create an online community to help visually impaired people feel connected and part of wider society during these challenging times and thus to reduce isolation and loneliness.
The new services are available to anyone in Hull and East Yorkshire with a visual impairment and the charity is even able to loan equipment such as tablets to those without their own technology to join in the sessions. To find out more please contact Sight Support HEY on 01482 342297.
“For people with sight loss, particularly the more elderly who have additional health issues, the need to social distance is likely to last longer than for most,” says Sandra Ackroyd, Sight Support HEY’s Chief Executive. “So we foresee these new services will be vital over future months and are likely to remain part of our ongoing support thereafter.”
“With almost all of the charity’s normal fundraising events and challenges cancelled, this funding from the Coronavirus Community Support Fund distributed by the National Lottery Community Fund, has been a real boost and we would like to thank the Government for making this possible.”
Published by Angela Gregory
