Members of a group designed to bring deaf and hard-of-hearing people together made a splash last week as they tried paddle boarding for the first time.
Forth Valley Sensory Centre’s Talk and Sign group, which supports people with hearing loss, took 11 members on the outing at Kinghorn in Fife.
Organisers said the trip was a hit with centre users and told how many had never tried paddle boarding before.
The Talk and Sign Group is made up of a mix of ages and allows people with hearing impairments to try new things and make friends.
It meets on the third Monday of each month and events are organised by the charity’s group co-ordinator Linsey Stocks and volunteer Laura Stewart.
They have previously visited the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Scottish Police College, as well as an Escape Room.
Members have also attended a variety of theatre productions and taken part in walks, crafting and weaving classes.
FVSC runs a host of different groups and classes for its centre users, including ‘Knit and Natter’, lip reading, cooking, history and art classes, and a monthly book club.
Recently, stories written by members of the Talk and Sign group were featured during a ‘Scotland’s Stories Now’ event at Edinburgh International Book Festival, which was hosted by author Val McDermid.
Linsey Stocks, FVSC’s group co-ordinator, said: “Our paddle boarding trip went brilliantly and everyone who took part thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
“It was the first time trying the activity for the majority of our Talk and Sign members, and everyone said they loved it and would be keen to go again.
“Being deaf or hard of hearing has the potential to be isolating, so our group is designed to bring people together to take part in fun activities, using British Sign Language. At FVSC we try to cover lots of topics and activities with our groups, so there is hopefully something for all of our centre users to take part or get involved in.”
