National deafblind charity Sense is to receive £414,687 from the BIG Lottery Fund to support young deafblind people in south east Wales as they move into adulthood.

 

Being Me! will support young deafblind people by helping them to adjust to new relationships and acquire decision-making and fact-finding skills in order to be able to have a greater say in their own care. The project will also help the young people to develop self-confidence and independence. 

 

Young deafblind people can come up against a number of obstacles on their journey into adulthood as the difficulties in communicating can make each step towards a greater level of independence more difficult. The funding will be used over the next five years to help deafblind 14 to 25 year olds develop the skills and knowledge they need to flourish by providing targeted group and individual support.

 

Wayne Lewis, Head of Services at Sense Cymru, said: “Young people who are deafblind face a unique set of challenges as they reach adulthood and often require specialist support to overcome them. This funding will allow us to work with young deafblind people helping them to develop the necessary skills and experience to make a smooth transition into adulthood and achieve a greater level of independence, Being Me! is one of 18 projects in south Wales that have been provided with a total of £14 million funding by The Big Lottery Fund to work with young people.

 

Highlighting the importance of the Bright New Futures programme and the projects funded, Gareth Newton, Big Lottery Fund Wales Committee Member and Chair of the Bright New Futures Programme Committee, said: “This programme again underlines how we are committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need.”

 

“Although most young people get the support they require and have a good experience of education and work, there are some who need more support as they become adults.” 

 

“Projects such as this one will support young people to help them be who they want to be and do what they want to do. We acknowledge there may be hurdles along the way for these young people but the funding from Bright New Futures will help make crossing some of them that much easier.”

 

For more information about the project contact Sense Cymru on: 0845 127 0090 or email cymruenquiries@sense.org.uk. 

 

 

For media enquiries contact the Sense press office on 0845 127 0060.

 

For more information about the 18 projects who have received funds on the Big Lottery Fund website.

 

 

Sense is a national charity that has supported and campaigned for children and adults who are deafblind for over 50 years. There are currently around 250, 000 deafblind people in the UK.

 

Sense provides specialist information, advice and services to deafblind people, their families, carers and the professionals who work with them. We run services across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and employ 2,000 people most of whom work in services directly with deafblind people. Our patron is HRH The Princess Royal. 

 

Deafblindness is a combination of both sight and hearing difficulties. Some of these people are completely deaf and blind, but others have some remaining use of one or both senses.

 

Causes of deafblindness include premature birth and exposure to rubella during pregnancy, which can cause babies to be born deafblind. Sense therefore supports MMR which has proven to be the most effective vaccination programme against rubella. Some genetic conditions, such as Usher syndrome, can also result in deafblindness. People can also become deafblind at any time through illness, accident or in older age.