Stephen Gethins has visited the office of a sensory loss charity covering his constituency to learn about its vital work.
The MP for Arbroath and Broughty Ferry visited Friockheim Community Hub where North East Sensory Services (NESS) has an office base, meeting staff and some of the people who benefit directly from the services which the charity provides.
During his visit, he heard first-hand about the challenges facing blind and deaf people helped by the charity.
He also met board members of Angus Society for the Blind, which works closely with NESS and provides invaluable practical and financial support to the charity and its users in the region.
NESS supports thousands of blind and deaf people, and those with visual and hearing impairments, across Angus, Dundee, Moray, Aberdeen, and Aberdeenshire.
The charity’s main objective is to help people with sensory loss live as independently as possible, reducing the risk of isolation and helping them overcome the many challenges they face.
Stephen Gethins MP said: “It was a great pleasure to meet the NESS team, and crucially their service users.
“It’s important to me to be able to hear first-hand about the work that NESS does, the experiences of service users, and how their work interacts with our public services such as the NHS.
“I am grateful to everyone who gave me their time and shared their stories.”
Alan Bell, chief executive at NESS, said: “We were delighted to meet Stephen to share with him the life-changing work we do to support people with sensory loss across the North-east.
“His visit gave him valuable knowledge of the everyday challenges faced by those living with sight and hearing loss, and he had the opportunity to speak directly with some of the people who benefit from our services.
“With many of our staff and volunteers living in the area and being among his constituents, it was a real highlight for them to meet their MP and talk about the transformative impact of their work.
“We’re very grateful to Stephen for taking the time to visit NESS.”
NESS delivers specialist information, equipment, and support to people with sight or hearing loss.
Among the lifeline services it offers in Angus are its Young People’s Sensory Service for children, which increases their confidence, independence, and social skills.
It also runs an ICT for All service, providing people with tailored training and support in the use of accessible technology and digital devices, reducing the risk of isolation.
NESS is the sector leader in Scotland for delivering joint sensory services, which is of particular benefit to elderly people who often encounter age-related sight and hearing issues at the same time.
Founded in 1879, it supports more than thousands of people with sensory impairment and their families across the north-east and more than 750 live in Angus.
The charity provides a range of specialist support services, working with people of all ages, and manages the sight loss registers in Dundee and Aberdeen.