Charity for deaf and blind to shed staff after losing funding

Deaf and blind charity CoHearentVision has lost £1m per year in funding after Leeds Council awarded contracts for support services to two other organisations.

The charity is to leave its base at Centenary House in the city and has drawn up an “austerity package” that will see further job losses.

Charity bosses say the cuts are necessary for its survival and its work supporting people.

Kenton Robbins, chairman of the Board of Trustees, said costs had been significantly reduced over the last three years.

“Despite all this hard work on behalf of local taxpayers, Leeds Council then awarded the contracts to providers from outside of the city.

“Our decision to close Centenary House, which has been the heart and soul of the Leeds Society for Deaf and Blind People, is a tough yet responsible measure taken by a united board.

“We are determined to build on 135 years of experience, albeit in a different manner, in order that we can continue to support people with a sight and/or hearing loss in the future. My key message is we are still open for business.”

Samantha Green, honorary president of the charity, said: “As the mother of a profoundly deaf daughter and former chair of the Board of Trustee’s of coHearentVision, I fully understand the difficult circumstances faced by our board.

“I fully support the sad, but inevitable, decision to close Centenary House at this time. We are looking for a redevelopment option in which the building can still be a part of the overall regeneration strategy of services for sensory impaired people in the future.”

Chief executive Rob Young said building closures were “nothing new” for the charity.

“During the last 10 years, the services for visually impaired and DeafBlind people have been centred on Shire View Centre which the council closed in June due to financial/operational constraints. So, building closures are nothing new.

“Future operations will focus on community-based delivery centred on: the continued provision of British Sign Language (BSL) interpreting, the provision of cutting edge sensory awareness training to businesses and organisations, BSL Training, Braille large print and audio production as well as youth services for sensory impaired and learning-challenged children.”

A spokeswoman for Leeds City Council said: “For many years, services for deaf and blind people in Leeds were provided as a single service by the organisation now known as CoHearentVision, which was funded by Leeds City Council.

“A review of the service provided was carried out in 2009 which showed that the expectations of hearing and sight-impaired people have changed, and that not all are satisfied in simply attending a centre.

“The review suggested that the existing services were under-used and needed modernising, as users want a service that provides activities and opportunities to help them get the most out of what is on offer in their communities, the city and beyond.

“Based on the information provided by service users, the council decided to go to competitive tender for two new separate services to deliver a more personalised way of supporting people in their local communities, offering a wider range of activities to attract people from all age ranges and cultural backgrounds.

“CoHearentVision has provided a good service for deaf and blind people in Leeds for over 30 years and we thank them for all they have done. The new providers will go on to build on that work and provide a more modern service for the future, making sure the needs of individuals are met appropriately.”

Mike Gerwat, treasurer of the charity, branded the funding cuts as a “reckless action”.