Clwyd West AM Darren Millar has applauded a service for blind and partially sighted people following a visit on Friday.
The Colwyn Bay-based Specialist Rights, Advice and Information Service, known as ‘The Hub’, is run by Wales' largest sight loss charity RNIB Cymru and opened last December. It provides a welfare and benefits check and case worker service and has already supported hundreds of customers.
Darren said:
“This is a fantastic service which, as it is a sensory loss service, not only provides help and support for blind and partially sighted people, also provides for people with hearing loss, hard of hearing or deaf and also Deafblind customers.
“I am extremely impressed by what the service has achieved since opening. In the latest data for the last quarter, July- September, it has secured £967,855 of new income and supported 508 people.
“The project is funded for 2 years and 9 months and is projected to support 5,103 people and bring in just less than £12million - which it's already on target to exceed from year one alone. This is an incredible achievement and I congratulate all those involved in running the service and wish them continued success in the future.”
Ceri Jackson, Director of RNIB Cymru, said:
"A third of blind and partially sighted people live in poverty, and yet many do not claim all the welfare benefits they are entitled to because of lack of awareness of benefits, reluctance to identify as disabled and difficulties in the application process. RNIB Cymru's welfare rights team works with blind and partially sighted people to ensure they get the support they're entitled to, reducing financial hardship, and increasing people's ability to live independently."
Picture Caption: Clwyd West AM Darren Millar with Michelle Richardson, Kim Pearson and John Etheridge of RNIB Cymru.