Initially the group had just four hearing aid clinics and was run purely by volunteers. By 2012 the group had expanded to 13 clinics and needed to employ a service co-ordinator to manage the day-to-day running of the group.
In 2014 the group became a registered Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation and has continued to grow and develop services for people with hearing loss, their families and the people that support them.
The group now has hearing aid maintenance clinics in 17 locations across the region, over 30 volunteers and an operations group made up of representation from Health and Social Care, volunteers and a Management Board.
The group is run by a management board with co-opted members from RNID and advice from NHS Audiology.
We have clinics across Dumfries and Galloway, which enable people to access a local service for basic care and maintenance of hearing aids on a regular basis.
This is a service which Dumfries and Stranraer Audiology departments are unable to undertake due to pressure of time and resource.
Without our service the regions hard of hearing people would have to maintain their hearing aids themselves after receiving spares sent in the post by Audiology. Many of the regions hard of hearing have neither the dexterity nor the eyesight to enable them to maintain their hearing aids properly.
As well as our Clinics, we also provide home visits and visit care homes.
