MEMBERS of a deaf society based in Blackburn have voiced their fear over vital funding.

The East Lancashire Deaf Society (ELDS), which meets regularly at King’s Court in King Street, receives money from the council to fund interpreters for deaf people.

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But with uncertainty growing over the future of the funding, with a decision due at the end of March, members contacted the Lancashire Telegraph to express their concerns.

The spokesman for the group, Kevin Mills, said through an interpreter, members would struggle to cope with everyday tasks if they are unable to access an interpreter, and could be forced to cope with undue stress if they have to wait weeks for one.

He said: “When you watch TV and you turn the sound off, you can see what is happening but you can’t follow what is said.

“You get a whole different meaning as to what is going on. It’s the same for all deaf people in the world.

“We have access at the minute but we might not soon. We need to fight for interpreters.”

Simple tasks such as querying a bill over the phone, ordering a taxi, or speaking to staff at the Job Centre can prove frustrating and stressful without an interpreter, members attending the meeting said.

Support staff at the ELDS also regularly help out with correspondence, with reading and writing proving harder for deaf people, and are also at threat.

Mr Mills said: “The deaf community rely on them and without them, they will be lost. This is an SOS – Save Our Services.”

As well as hosting coffee mornings at King’s Court, the ELDS organises trips out, and visits to the hard of hearing in the community.

Mr Mills said: “If the council decides to stop the funding in March, which could happen, it will be detrimental to the deaf community.”

A spokesman for Blackburn with Darwen Council denied any decisions about funding had been made, and said: “The current contracts for interpretation services are coming to an end and we are going through a new procurement process.”