THE Forth Valley Sensory Centre has received a massive boost in funding, courtesy of the National Lottery Community Fund.

The charity has been awarded £200,000 from the fund to aid them in their work to tackle loneliness and isolation caused by sensory loss.

Thanks to the funding, the charity will improve its services in Camelon, which in turn will allow them to benefit more people across Stirling and Clackmannanshire.

The Wee County Hub, an offshoot of the Forth Valley Sensory Centre, caters for those with sensory loss in Clackmannanshire.

Jacquie Winning, chief executive of Forth Valley Sensory Centre, said: “We are extremely grateful to The National Lottery Community Fund for providing us with an opportunity to become a genuinely Forth Valley wide service for people with sensory loss.

“We know from our many years of supporting people with sight and/or hearing loss in the Forth Valley that loneliness, isolation and loss of confidence are some of the biggest problems that people with sensory loss face.

“Our overall objective is to help people who have a sensory impairment live as independently as possible and we are proud of how our range of activities and classes, including access to IT and tech support, cookery classes, visits and excursions and sign and lip-reading classes, will continue to break down those barriers and help people live their lives to the full.”

The money will be used to create three new jobs and 12 new volunteer positions across the charity.