Spencer Pitfield, Parliamentary Candidate for Penistone & Stocksbridge, together with Hilary Gay, local Council candidate, have stepped in to help try and save a lip reading class in Stocksbridge.

The lip reading classes, which are run each week in Stocksbridge library for people of all ages with hearing difficulties, are currently under threat of closure. The classes are at present run by the WEA but the students have now been informed that the classes will stop at Easter if other financial support cannot be found.

Spencer Pitfield said: “We are about to put in an application to South Yorkshire Community Foundation in order to try to secure interim funding for the classes until a more sustainable solution can be found. These lip reading classes offer local people with hearing difficulties a lifeline. The classes allow people with similar hearing problems to meet up and exchange advice, support each other, as well as to learn to lip read”.

Spencer continued: “Community classes like this are invaluable for local people and should be at the top of the list for ongoing funding from the authorities. I was very upset when I was told that the classes could be stopped and together with Hilary we working hard to keep them going”.

Hilary Gay commented: “The lip reading class is devastated at the possible closure as they have all benefited tremendously by learning this new skill. It is difficult for hearing people to fully appreciate the difficulties of not being able to communicate effectively and the damage that this can do to a person’s self esteem. It is incredible that in this era of equal opportunities, that funding for courses like this cannot be guaranteed”.

Apart from the initial stop-gap funding application, local Conservatives have been in direct contact with Councillors for support and are also looking into getting help and advice from the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID).