New Western Isles Sensory Centre 24/1/11
A new Western Isles Sensory Centre opened its doors to the public in Stornoway today.
It provides community support services for people affected by sight or hearing loss.
Until now, services were largely provided by visiting staff from the mainland dating back to 1876. This is the first dedicated community base in the Western Isles, 135 years later.
Needs and numbers are projected to more than double over the next 20 years and the project will cover the Western Isles.
The project will build on the achievements of Sight Action. It aims to develop new community support services to people affected by deafness and raise mutual awareness amongst various health and social care agencies, promoting safer and more independent living options for people who may have sensory or physical support needs.
The centre is located in Esplanade Court, Stornoway, at the back of the Lewis and Caledonian Hotels. It is open to the public from Monday to Friday, from 10am to 2pm.
Western Isles SNP MSP, Alasdair Allan, who attended the opening ceremony, said: "This
centre is long overdue -
“Now, finally, they have a base in the islands, and they intend to make sure that they continue to take that work to all parts of the Western Isles.”
He added: “As well as providing advice and assessment, and materials such as audio books, the centre will, crucially, provide a much needed interpretation service for users of sign language, to allow them to access a wide range of services.
"I commend the work of many organisations, including Sight Action, the Comhairle and NHS, who, with funding from the Scottish Government, have made this new service a reality."