Welcome Welcome to GDA’s Hear for You newsletter. This issue feels like a celebration. It's so easy when you're working flat out every day and still your in-tray grows, to lose sight of all the achievements that are quietly taking place along the way. The following pages provide news for you and a reminder to us of the positive and sometimes huge impact GDA has made to the lives of deaf, deaf blind and hard of hearing people in Gloucestershire. For those of us who have the privilege of working or volunteering at GDA, it fee very special place. The traditional charity values of compassion and empathy are central to the way we treat the people we support and indeed each other. But, as you will read too, we also have a wonderful capacity for fun. Last year GDA excelled once again in the delivery of many services, from providing sign language communication support to installing listening aid equipment to keep people safe at home; from creating award-winning deaf awareness training films to putting on events for families with hearing impaired children. The feedback we receive from people who use our services is nothing short of outstanding. But the challenge remains enormous: generally speaking, people with a severe or profound hearing impairment are as active as fully hearing people, eat a similar amount of vegetables, drink less alcohol, and smoke far fewer cigarettes*. So why are they: * More likely to be overweight * Twice as likely to have high blood pressure * Four times as likely to be on the verge of diabetes * Five times as likely to develop dementia GDA has never been stronger in our belief that it is possible to transform deaf people’s lives for the better, and we have never had a clearer vision of how to achieve that simply and cost effectively. For all our achievements last year, we will strive to do even more this year and we will continue to share our stories. Thank you for your support. Jenny Hopkins, Chief Executive Jenny Hopkins, Chief Executive JOIN US ON Facebook GDAGlos Twitter @glosdeaf Linkedin Gloucestershire Deaf Association Youtube GDAGlosDeaf *2014 - Signhealth 'Sick of It' report Thanks to local law firm, Davis Gregory, for sponsoring the cost of printing this newsletter. Davis Gregory is delighted to support GDA in producing 'Hear for You'. Working with GDA we are taking steps over the coming months to improve the services we can offer Deaf and also hard of hearing people. If we can be of any assistance to you, please do get in touch on 01242 235020 or visit www.cheltenhamsolictitors.co.uk GET IN TOUCH Telephone 01452 372999 Mobile 07875 610860 Email admin@gda.org.uk Website www.gda.org.uk 2
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