A North-east charity is celebrating its third prestigious award nomination.
North East Sensory Services (NESS), which has offices in Aberdeen, Dundee and Elgin, has been nominated as finalists in the national Children & Young People Now Awards 2015. The awards have become the gold standard for everyone working with children, young people and families across the UK.
The award-winning charity won two prestigious awards earlier this year. In May, the organisation won the 2015 Elevator Alick Buchanan-Smith Enterprising Communities Award and the Trend Life with Style Community Award 2015.
NESS were chosen as finalists in the Children & Young People Now Advice and Guidance category for its outstanding work with children and young people through the charity’s Young People’s Sensory Service. NESS, which supports people who are deaf, blind, hard or hearing and/or visually impaired, provides services for people from birth to the elderly. The charity has been serving disabled people in Aberdeen since 1879, and the charity is unique in that it provides joint sensory services for both hearing and visually impaired clients.
The charity provides essential social work support to over 4,800 service users, and the Young People’s Service gives practical and emotional guidance and support to parents and children alike. Regular social groups and advice sessions are held from mother and baby sessions to employment advice for teens, along with a comprehensive schedule of activities and outings.
Sam Dewey, events executive for the Children & Young People Now Awards said: “The awards present a tremendous showcase of learning and best practice from across the country that can be an inspiration to all. NESS proved that they have had a positive impact on the lives of young people. This is a tremendous achievement against extremely tough competition this year, in which we received a record number of entries from across the country.”
Graham Findlay, NESS chief executive, said: “We are delighted to be nominated for our third award this year. This is a UK wide award and being a finalist recognises the important work we do every day with young people in the North-east of Scotland. The children we work with are starting life with significant disadvantages, and at NESS we do all we can to prepare them to go on to lead independent lives. This nomination will help raise the profile of the work we do, as we continue to expand our services.”