Monday May 13th 2019
Michelle Ballantyne MSP (centre) with Hearing Forces Project Officers, Caroline McDonald and Derek Clark.
Michelle Ballantyne MSP is backing a charity’s call for local people to volunteer for a service supporting older veterans whose lives have been affected by hearing loss.
The MSP for South Scotland found out about Action on Hearing Loss Scotland’s Hearing Forces service and its need for more volunteers when she met the service’s Project Officers, Derek Clark and Caroline McDonald, during the charity’s Deaf Awareness Week parliamentary reception on Tuesday 7 May.
The Hearing Forces service, which is part of the Unforgotten Forces partnership led by Poppyscotland, is looking for volunteers to give a few hours each month to provide veterans aged 65 or over with vital information and support to help them to cope with hearing loss.
Michelle Ballantyne MSP, a member of the Scottish Parliament’s Cross Party Group on Armed Services and Veterans Community, said:
“I was delighted to speak with Derek and Caroline to find out about the wonderful holistic support that Action on Hearing Loss Scotland is offering with their Unforgotten Forces partners for older veterans.
“I encourage people in South Scotland to come forward to volunteer for the Hearing Forces service and provide vital one-to-one support for individuals who served in the armed forces and are affected by hearing loss.”
Action on Hearing Loss Scotland’s Derek Clark said:
“We appreciate Michelle Ballantyne MSP backing our Hearing Forces service’s appeal for volunteers.
“We’d welcome the opportunity to speak with people in South Scotland who are interested in being trained to clean, re-tube and adjust NHS hearing aids as well as offer information about assistive technology which can help older veterans to hear more clearly and remain socially active with family, friends or neighbours.”
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