A MAUCHLINE woman has picked up a prestigious award for her contributions to the welfare of the hearing loss community in the UK.

May Wood was presented with the Heather Jackson Award by the National Association of Deafened People (NADP), Signature, and Hearing Link at a ceremony in Edinburgh.

Whilst working as a teacher in her 20s, May began to lose her hearing but since then she has worked tirelessly to support others in similar situations.

For five years, May has volunteered for the Sensory Impaired Support Group (SISG) in Ayrshire through which she runs a drop-in centre in Cumnock to help older people with hearing aid maintenance.

May also became a Hearing Link volunteer in 2014 where she supports people through the charity’s courses and provides free, independent and personalised support through its Helpdesk.

Overjoyed with her accolade, May said: “I am delighted to receive the Heather Jackson Award for 2017. It is an honour and privilege to volunteer with Hearing Link and SISG and to follow in Heather Jackson’s footsteps by offering peer support and advice to people with hearing loss, and encouraging them to manage that loss and helping them overcome the day-to-day challenges they face. To see deafened people move forward and again enjoy participating fully with their families and friends is our reward.”

With friends and colleagues from Hearing Link and SISG alongside her family at the ceremony, Ross Trotter of the NADP presented May with the award.

Denise McClung, project manager at SISG, said: “May understands fully the difficulties that hearing aid users experience day to day and this has enabled and equipped her to help many people overcome barriers to communication.

“We at SISG are delighted that May has received this well deserved accolade as it recognises her commitment and dedication to helping others within the deaf community.”

Dr Lorraine Gailey, chief operating officer of Hearing Link, added: “May works tirelessly to raise awareness of deafness and strives to ensure deafened people are integrated in their local communities. She is such a special volunteer for Hearing Link and her personal experiences have helped many people across all four countries of the UK. I’m delighted she has been recognised for her exemplary work in the deafened community.”

Denise McClung, Project Manager at SISG, said: “May understands fully the difficulties that hearing aid users experience day to day and this has enabled and equipped her to help many people overcome barriers to communication. We at SISG are delighted that May has received this well deserved accolade as it recognises her commitment and dedication to helping others within the deaf community.”

For further information about the work of Hearing Link, visit www.hearinglink.org or to find out more about SISG, go to www.sisg.co.uk.