A TEAM of volunteers who support hearing aid users in Dwyfor and Meirionnydd are now providing even more care in the community, thanks to their growing team.

Eight new volunteers have now joined the Hearing Aid Volunteer Service team which has now doubled in numbers following a successful first year for the service with BCUHB.

The Hearing Aid Volunteer Service ensures that vulnerable people in their homes across the area can be visited to keep their hearing aids maintained, ensuring that they can stay independent and communicating well.

Emlyn Edwards, 67, from Trawsfynydd, who attends the drop-in session at Ysbyty Alltwen on the first Tuesday of each month between 10am and 12pm, says he is “extremely grateful” to the volunteers who give up their time to help him.

He said: “Having this service here in Ysbyty Alltwen is extremely handy, I sometimes have problems with my hearing aid and I only have to come down the road to get it looked at which saves me a journey to Ysbyty Gwynedd.

“I’d heard about the service in my local surgery so I told some of my friends who have a hearing aid and now they come here, it really offers great support – I’m very grateful for this service.”

Jeffrey Stewart, from Morfa Bychan near Porthmadog, described the volunteering service as a ‘valuable asset’ to the community.

“Not so long ago I was suffering with a whistling in my ear and I wasn’t sure what it was but it was causing a problem so I knew I had to have it looked at,” he said.

“I wasn’t aware this service was even available, luckily a friend of mine told me about it or I would have made the journey to Ysbyty Gwynedd.

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