GENEROUS bank workers from Chester have handed over £850 to a sensory-loss charity after two years of fundraising.

Staff at TSB, on Eastgate Row, has taken part in walks up Mount Snowdon, bake sales, a half marathon and various in-house events in their 24-month branch bid to raise money for city-based Deafness Support Network (DSN).

The charity, which supports those who are deaf, blind or have a sensory loss, also supports pioneering research into the effects of dementia and memory loss on the people they support.

The money raised will go to help DSN’s You, Me and Tea initiative - a memory cafe for those who are D/deaf and have dementia in Cheshire and North Wales.

Colette Padfield, Branch Manager at TSB Chester, said: “We’ve learnt so much during our charity partnership with DSN - especially how to interact with people with a hearing loss. We have many vulnerable customers that come into the branch and for some, we are the only people they interact with all day. We are so proud that the money we have raised will be going to help integrate, socialise and support older people in the community.”

As part of the bank workers’ bid to help understand their customers better, the team underwent dementia training which included deaf awareness training around how to deal with customers with sensory and memory loss.

“It’s been a real eye-opener,” said Colette. “Simple things like closing the doors when a customer with a hearing loss is being served to block out the background city noise has been a huge benefit for both the staff and customers.”

James Hibbler-Pearce, TSB Area Manager also helped to educate the deaf community at Chester Deaf Club with a BSL interpreted session on fraud and how to recognise and prevent becoming a victim of it.

Along with husband Andy, James raised an additional £2,031 for DSN after they both took part in zip wire challenges in Snowdonia and Las Vegas.

Erica Jones, fundraising manager at DSN, said: “The past two years have been incredible and we are so delighted with the grand total raised by the team. It really feels that as we draw the partnership to a close like we are saying goodbye to great friends. TSB Chester and their colleagues locally have been a real inspiration and we are so proud to have worked with them. A huge and heartfelt thanks to them all from the DSN and the service users who will be helped with their funds.”

For more information about how your business could work with DSN or to donate to DSN, go to www.dsnonline.co.uk