Openhand48pp(Winter 2017)web
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6 News<br />
Another Successful Year for<br />
Deafblind UK<br />
Digital Inclusion Officer Tim Locke supporting<br />
a member to use a tablet computer<br />
Deafblind UK was proud to<br />
announce a number of<br />
successes at its Annual<br />
General Meeting on<br />
Wednesday 1st February.<br />
Thanks to donations from<br />
community groups, charitable<br />
trusts and individuals, we have<br />
continued to grow throughout<br />
England, Northern Ireland and<br />
Wales; meanwhile our<br />
volunteer team has grown to<br />
400, supporting 580 deafblind<br />
people.<br />
On the technology front, we<br />
now have 40 tablets in our<br />
library which are loaned to<br />
members throughout the<br />
country, whilst our Information<br />
and Advice line received 1,500<br />
calls last year.<br />
We’re also very proud of our<br />
independent living services, in<br />
particular our social enterprise,<br />
About Me, which grew by 10<br />
per cent in the year ending<br />
March 2016. Despite the<br />
current financial climate, we<br />
have been able to provide 24-<br />
hour care and support, as well<br />
as awareness training and<br />
specialist assessments. The<br />
service also better enables<br />
members to receive care in<br />
the NHS thanks to improved<br />
communications.<br />
Our supported housing<br />
scheme at Rainbow Court,<br />
Peterborough, currently<br />
houses 15 tenants and we are<br />
searching for one more to fill a<br />
current vacancy.<br />
A communal room at Rainbow Court<br />
Overall, we have had a hugely<br />
successful year supporting<br />
members all over the country<br />
and look forward to seeing<br />
continued growth in <strong>2017</strong>.
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