Television presenter Claudia Winkleman is backing plans to open a centre for deafblind children in High Barnet.

National charity Sense wants to provide specialist support and services to children who are deafblind and their families.

Sense has launched a fundraising appeal to raise money for the building and equipping the children’s centre.

The plans include creating a sensory room as well as a family room for parent groups and out of school activities.

Sense’s CEO, Gillian Morbey, said: “So much of what we know about the world comes from our senses of sight and hearing, so children who are both deaf and blind face many barriers. But with the right support, tailored to their individual needs, deafblind children can achieve so much.

“This new centre means we can support even more deafblind children to learn, develop and achieve.”

Claudia Winkleman, who is supporting Sense’s fundraising campaign for the centre, said:
“As a mother myself, I can only imagine what it must be like to discover that your child is deafblind and the help and support that they must need.

“This centre will be a lifeline to many families of young deafblind children.”

The new centre will offer parents ideas about how to develop their children’s skills, advice on suitable play activities and help to communicate more effectively with their child through a series of workshops.

The centre will also run training courses for professionals who work with children in the health, education and care sectors, to raise awareness of deafblindness and the specialist support available.