Hear for You WINTER / SPRING 2019 www.gda.org.uk Registered Charity in England No. 1015937 Company Limited by Guarantee 2692718
Welcome Welcome to another issue of GDA’s Hear for You newsletter. It gives me great pleasure to write to you all as the new CEO of GDA. I have had a fantastic introduction to the work of this amazing charity and have been welcomed warmly by staff, volunteers and the people we support. Jenny Hopkins has left a great legacy in terms of securing new contracts and ensuring GDA maintains its strong reputation delivering high quality services. I am keen to ensure we continue with this and develop new provision as we enter our 100th year. I would like to say a big thank you to those people who have already risen to our 100 year challenge and successfully fundraised for us. These activities will continue into 2019 in addition to an exciting centenary event in May, where we hope to be joined by a Royal visitor! It's been a very busy few months at GDA, as you'll see with all the news we have to share with you in this bumper issue, so our apologies for the delay in putting together this copy of Hear for You. May I take this opportunity to wish you and your families all the very best for the new year, and I look forward to welcoming you to GDA in the future. Best wishes, GET IN TOUCH Telephone - 01452 372999 | Text - 07875 610860 Email - admin@gda.org.uk | Website - www.gda.org.uk GDA, Colin Road, Barnwood, Gloucester, GL4 3JL Opening hours - Monday to Thursday 9am to 5pm and Friday 9am to 4pm
GDA news A message from Jenny Hopkins Some of you may already know that after ten very happy and fulfilling years at GDA, I have decided to move on in November. Those of you who know me will understand what a tough decision this has been, but I will be going with the knowledge that I have achieved everything I could ever have hoped to do with this wonderful organisation, and I believe GDA has now reached point where I can leave the best possible legacy and let the journey continue under Sharon, as the new CEO, with all the fresh energy and vision it deserves. Thank you to everyone for the huge support you have given me over the years. Welcoming new staff to the team As GDA continues to grow with the service it provides to deaf and hard of hearing people, so too does the staff team. We are delighted to have welcomed two new members of staff to the team this year; Sarah Cook joined as a new Bookings Coordinator in April, working alongside Mary Hailes to arrange British Sign Language (BSL interpreter bookings, and Steph Blackburn, who has come on board as Equipment Services Assistant, supporting the Hard of Hearing team. You can book an appointment to see Steph at GDA on a Monday and Wednesday, when she can provide advice on the wide-range of listening aid equipment we have available to buy, or on a Tuesday and Friday for hearing-aid maintenance.
In 2019, GDA will celebrate turning 100 years old and plans are well underway for GDA's milestone anniversary celebrations. To make this a year to remem we would love for you to be part of our celebrations. Here's more about what to expect and how you can be involved: In May 2019 we will be hosting a special anniversary event at GDA - more details on this to follow in due course, but we are hoping to have a Royal visitor with us for the occasion. In addition there will be a photography exhibition from our young people following their photography workshops in January and March. To ensure the story of GDA continues for another 100 years, we have been working with Gloucestershire Archives to store our historical documents and photos. We are delighted to share with you that all the items have now been catalogued and are open for visitors to view at the Gloucestershire Hub on Clarence Row in Gloucester. One of the charity's aims in 2019 will be to collate a report that looks forward to the future of deaf and hard of hearing services in Gloucestershire. In order to do this, we will be seeking your opinions on what is currently in place and what you would like to see available going forward. A survey will be distributed in the coming months, and we would very much welcome your participation in this. We will be running focus groups for BSL users so the deaf community can provide feedback in their first language. Just prior to the celebratory event in May, we will be launching a series of social media video clips showcasing different stories about deafness in order to further educate Gloucestershire about it's like to be live with deafness. And finally, we are looking for 100 people to take on a challenge for GDA to help us raise £20,000. Turn to page xx for more information on how you can get involved in this campaign and to find out what's already been happening.
Is your business deaf aware? Seven out of ten hearing aid wearers seek out businesses or services whose staff are deaf aware. Our Deaf Awareness courses will help you to communicate effectively with deaf and hard of hearing customers and clients. We run face-to-face and online deaf awareness training courses to suit individuals, companies and groups. Contact us on 01452 372999 or email sharon.bryant@gda.org.uk. BSL interpreting news for Gloucestershire deaf people Some important and much anticipated news for Gloucestershire deaf people who use sign language. As of 1st July 2018, GDA has the contract with Gloucestershire CCG to provide communications support for all your GP appointments. We are delighted about this and hope you are too, as it means we can ensure you have a joined up service across all your medical appointments. As always, you can get in touch with us via text, Facetime or Skype or just drop by the office. Lip-reading class update Starting in January 2019, the Monday lip-reading class held in Gloucester by Michael Underwood, will take place on a Tuesday from 2pm to 4pm. GDA continues to provide three other lipreading classes in Cheltenham, Cirencester and a further class in Gloucester. New members are welcome to join anytime. Classes are £4 per person. To enquire further or to book on to a class, please call 01452 372999, email admin@gda.org.uk or text 07875 610860. Dates for your diary 19th January - young people photography workshop at GDA, 10.30am to 12.30pm 15th February - Pamper Night at GDA, from 7pm 2nd March - young people photography workshop at GDA, 10.30am to 12.30pm 3rd March - Sign Yoga workshop at GDA from 10am to 11.30am 22nd March - Race Night at GDA, from 7pm 27th April - deaf restaurant at GDA from 7pm 25th June - Friendship Circle summer party at GDA, 1pm to 3pm 5th to 7th July - young people reunion, Snowdon, Wales
I Am Hard of Hearing cards Following on from the huge success of GDA's Deaf Patient Support cards in August 2017, GDA has now launched a 'I am hard of hearing' card for those with an acquired hearing loss. The cards offer clear and simple prompts to help a person follow a conversation. The cards are free and are available upon request from the GDA office; in writing to GDA, Colin Road, Barnwood, Gloucester, GL4 3JL, by telephone on 01452 372999 or text 07875 610860. GDPR - safeguarding you and protecting your information You will have seen that new data protection laws came in to force in May 2018. Protecting your information is extremely important to us, and in order for GDA to be GDPR compliant, we have put additional security measures in place, as well as revising our Privacy Notice, which you can read on our website, www.gda.org.uk, or watch a BSL version on our Facebook page. If you have any questions about GDA and GDPR, please contact our Data Protection Officer on 01452 372999 or email dpo@gda.org.uk. Please vote for GDA to win £10,000 GDA has been shortlisted to win a whooping £10,000, but we need YOUR help. Local business Lansdown Insurance is hosting 'Lansdown Giving', an initiative that will see them award cash prizes from £150 to £10,000 to the ten charities with the most votes. Voting is now open and will remain so until 5pm on 31st January 2019 at www.lansdowninsurance.com/giving/ Please spare a few moments to vote for GDA to help give us the best possible chance of winning the greater share. A very BIG thank you Sadly this issue isn't going to be big enough to thank everyone individually, so we will offer a very BIG thank you to ALL the businesses, groups and individuals who have so generously donated to GDA in 2018. Thank you.
Young people trip to London On Thursday 16th August, a group of volunteers an young people and their parents got up bright and early and headed to London for a very special day trip in the capital. Despite the initial bleary eyes, the group arrived in London raring to go and headed to The Science Museum for an experience in the Wonderlab - a scientific sensory experience that explores everything from static to gravity. This trip was an opportunity for the young people to step out of their comfort zone, to challenge themselves and make new friends. At the beginning of the trip we asked the group how they felt - most noted nerves. At the end of the day, they all commented on how much they'd enjoyed the trip and the nerves had changed to happiness. This feedback from one of the young people who came on the trip, speaks volumes: "I liked with how I can see that I'm not the only one who is deaf/hard of hearing and that there's other people who is just like me. It makes me feel I'm not alone. Just seeing that has also helped with my confidence of myself deaf just a little bit" This is the whole idea of what GDA is doing. Supporting these young people in their journey through childhood into adulthood and showing them they are not alone, increasing their self-confidence, showing them the wider world and inspiring them to be the amazing people they can be. This trip has made it clear, that providing these opportunities to our young people and families has untold benefits for them. This trip was the start of a new approach to our youth services and we have a number of future exciting opportunities coming up, including a two-part photography workshop and a 100th anniversary young people reunion that will invite them to climb Mount Snowdon in July 2019. Keep posted for more on that very soon.
Cirencester Deaf Children's Club (CDCC) have enjoyed a year full of fun activities and outings in 2019. In May, the young members and their families gathered at Roves Farm, near Swindon, for a fun-packed day on the farm. Members got a chance to enjoy a rather bumpy tractor ride to meet a very Hungry Caterpillar, as well having a go at feeding the lambs and racing the energetic sheep and goats! It was a particularly poignant session in July, a number of CDCC members graduated from the club. They will continue to be supported by our Family Support Worker and will be invited to get involved in a number of upcoming exciting opportunities. It's been an absolute joy to see the children grow into young people and we wish them all the very best for the future. And what other way is there to end the year, other then a CDCC Christmas party. Once again the members were treated to a visit from Mr Christmas himself, who very generously took time out of his busy schedule to hand out gifts to the children. None of these activities would be possible without the continued dedication of the CDC volunteers, so a big thank you to them for all hard work and creativity in continuing to come up with fun and engaging activities for the club to enjoy. Gloucester Deaf Club (GDC) have enjoyed several highlights this year including hosting the UK Deaf Sports Whist Drive Pairs in April, in which two GDC members came runners up. In August the group then enjoyed a seaside trip to Torquay where they also paid the local Deaf Club a visit, and in October they came together for a fun quiz night.
Our popular Friendship Circle social activities returned in 2018 with the annual summer and Christmas gatherings. Over 140 guests joined us for the two occasions, to enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal, courtesy of Yumma Food. Once again our friends at Ecclesiastical Insurance joined us to help look after our guests. We cannot thank them enough for all their hard work and we look forward to welcomin them to GDA once more in June for the first of ou 2019 Friendship Circle gatherings. GDA's Friendship Circle is a free social group for anyone living with an acquired hearing loss. It is a friendly and welcoming opportunity to make new friends and catch up with old acquaintances. If you would like to be part of our Friendship Circle, let us know by emailing admin@gda.org.uk, and you will be invited to join us, free of charge at our twice-a-year social occasions. Free transport can be provided for anyone needing assistance getting to and from Gloucester. Our Friendship Circle summer party will be taking place at GDA on Tuesday 25th June, from 1pm to 3pm. GDA branches out in to South Gloucestershire and Wiltshire In April 2018, GDA took over the provision of BSL interpreter services at hospital appointments in Swindon and Wiltshire. Since then GDA has also begun providing weekly employment support to deaf and hard of hearing people in partnership with Disability Experts in Swindon. GDA will soon begin offering deaf people in South Gloucestershire support to those who are job seeking and those accessing education and/or training opportunities. A skilled member of the GDA team will be able to help with filling in application forms, putting together CVs, preparing for interviews and getting Access to Work funding in place. We have a proven track record in Gloucestershire where we are part of the innovative GEM project (Going the Extra Mile), providing much needed specialist employment support for deaf and hard of hearing communities. All of our employment support is delivered by excellent members of the team who are also extremely positive role models.
How we can help you Did you know that GDA offers 32-different services and support to deaf children, young people and adults living in Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and South Gloucestershire? Here's just some of the ways that we can help support you and your deafness: Transport Fund - available, free of charge, to anyone with mobility issues wishing to access GDA's social activities A monthly Lunch Club for BSL users Access to a Family Support Worker One-to-one BSL employment support The provision of BSL interpreters in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Regular Friendship Circle social activities Lip-reading classes A monthly children's deaf club for children aged 0 to 9yrs, and their families Hard of hearing clubs Over 25 hearing-aid maintenance clinics across the county Installation of specialist listening-aid equipment in your home Expert and impartial advise on listening-aid equipment available to buy Family Sign Workshops We can't do it without you Every year we need over £535,0oo to ensure we can continue providing these vital and life-changing services and support to thousands of deaf and hard of hearing people living in Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and South Gloucestershire. Without the kind support and generosity of local people a businesses we simply couldn't keep making t difference that we do. As we enter our 100th year, we would be delighted if you would consider supporting our charity by fundraising, making a donation, or leaving a legacy to GDA. Together we can help remove the barriers that deaf children, young people and adults face every single day and give them a chance to live confidently with their deafness.
In aid of GDA Back in the summer a Gloucester based National Citizen Service (NCS) group contacted us to let us know they had chosen GDA as their charity for their planned fundraising. The group of 15 to 17yr olds organised a summer fete as part of their NCS programme, and raised a wonderful £740 for GDA. Thank you to everyone who collected 'Cash for Communities' tokens for GDA On 16th December, local opera singer, Maria Jagusz hosted a Christmas Spectacular in aid of GDA and The Willow Trust. Nearly 300 guests came along to Bingham Hall in Cirencester to enjoy performances from MJ-UK Music and Arts, as well as the Cirencester Male Voice Choir and other special guests. Our sincere thanks to Maria and everyone involved in putting on such a magical evening and for helping to raise over £1,300 for GDA. Our sincere thanks to our friends at Coventry Building Society, Cirencester, who hosted a quiz night in aid of GDA on 19th May. The evening was a huge success and raised a fantastic £800. Since our partnership with CBS began in 2015, the team and their customers at the Cirencester branch have raised a staggering £7,000 for GDA, and they're still going strong. as part of a Gloucester Round Table and Western Daily Press initiative. We managed to secure enough tokens to be rewarded with a prize of £1,485, which was presented to GDA at a presentation evening on Tuesday 4th December. Congratulations to GDA Fundraising Ambassador, Jackie Gloyn who has once again been tirelessly fundraising for GDA, and this year alone, has raised a whooping £6,458.47 - Thank you Jackie.
100 challenges for GDA 2019 is set to be a BIG year for GDA and we would love you to be a part of it. As you will have already read, GDA will be celebrating it's 100th anniversary next year and as part of our celebrations we are inviting 100 people to be a part of our biggest fundraiser ever - 100 people, 100 challenges. So far 83 people have pledged to take on a challenge, with 53 having already completed their challenge. Could you join our team and help us reach our team of 100? "Being part of the 24hr cycle challenge was the best thing I've ever done. It was a wonderful event and brilliant to be involved in GDA's 100th anniversary celebrations" Your challenge can be anything you want it to be - perhaps you want to give something up, or maybe do a sponsored walk, cycle or run? Or how about jumping out of a plane, holding a cake sale or making and selling a craft? Whatever your challenge, you will be helping to ensure the future of the life-transforming support and services that GDA provides to thousands of deaf and hard of hearing children, young people and adults in Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and South Gloucestershire. To make this campaign even more exciting, we are delighted to share with you that The Windsor Family Trust are very generously offering matched funding for the first £100 each of our 100 participants raise, meaning GDA could stand to benefit from an extra £10,000!! We have been overwhelmed with the range of challenges and fundraising already taking place - from making little Christmas elves and hosting a sponsored silence, to running a half marathon and swimming 100 lengths on 100 different days. It's hard to single out just one challenge, but our Lands End to John O'Groats 24hr cycle challenge which took place from 19th to 20th October is definitely one of the highlight challenges so far.
The challenge saw a team of nine take on the challenge to cycle 100 miles each, to make up the bulk of the 969 mile journey between the two iconic UK landmarks. The remaining 69 miles would be completed by anyone else wishing to have a go over the course of the 24hrs. What made this challenge even more challenging was the fact they were doing it on exercise bikes, at GDA! Well, not only did they do it, but they did it with two hours to spare and raised a whooping £5,585 in the process! So, if you are you up for taking on a challenge to start your New Year and think you could raise at least £100, please do get in touch on 01452 372999 or 100challenges@gda.org.uk and we can help you kick-start your #GDATurns100 challenge adventure. The biggest of thanks to the following people who have already completed their challenge for GDA and helped us on our way to reaching our £20,000 fundraising target. The very best of luck to those currently planning or taking on their challenge. Sally Gillespie Richard Fletcher Jackie Gloyn Harry Hares in Cirencester Harrison Clark Rickerby's Coventry Building Society in Cirencester Richard Sills Jenny Hopkins Neil Souter Nick Hailes Gloucester Deaf Club Mark Kirby Stephenie Blackburn Robert Blackburn Alex Turley Andy Milner Reg Cobb Esme Sills Mary Hailes NCS - Gloucester Zumba with Jane Maria Jagusz Steve Jones John Gilbert Ellen Darkes Vicki O'Connell Ali Wiltshire Sue Sewell HB Digital Michelle Douse Kevin Daws Mari Simms Lexxi-Pearl Simms Judi Hill Toby Aiken Phil Sullivan Sarah Cook Matt Preston Mark McLaughlin Michelle Nali Topaze Newman Sara Coates Amy Brown Roger Bush Gemma Sills Ecclesiastical Turn over for photos of some of the challenges that have taken place so far
2018 in numbers 150 journey's made using our Transport Fund 8,519 miles travelled by our outreach workers to visit people in their homes The number of BSL interpreters provided 888 HOMES VISITED TO INSTALL LISTENING AID EQUIPMENT the number of appointments we've hosted at our employment support workshops in Swindon from Oct to Dec in partnership with Disability Experts 2,427 324 47 lunches served at our Deaf Lunch Club 3,900 HOURS OF COMMUNICATION SUPPORT PROVIDED IN THE WORKPLACE 3,295 people attended our hearing-aid clinics
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