Hear For You Spring 2020
Better access for BSL users Gloucestershire Constabulary has signed up to an excitin service that offers deaf people who use British Sign Language (BSL), easier access to the county's 101 service. The SignLive Community Directory scheme allows users to connect to an online BSL interpreter, who will then talk to a call handler and interpret back to the caller via a video link. Control Room Inspector Tim Hutchinson, who has personal experience of hearing loss, wanted to help give BSL users confidence to report incidents to the police. He felt it would demonstrate the Constabulary's commitment to the Accessibility and Accountability priority of the Police and Crime plan. The service is free of charge to the user, is simple and easy to use and does not require any pre-booking. To get started with using SignLive simply go to www.signlive.co.uk to download the app and register to start using the service. M o n t h l y C l i n i c s A group of Gloucestershire BSL users attended a tour of the county's contact centre in Quedgeley on 16th January, as part of the launch of the service. Deaf Awareness Week 2020 This year's Deaf Awareness Week will be taking place from the 4th to 10th May, and the theme this year is 'acquired hearing loss'. Over the course of the week, GDA will be sharing different stories about what it's like to lose your hearing, as well as the range of different services and support that are on offer across Gloucestershire, for those who have lost their hearing through illness or age, or gradually over time. Keep an eye on www.gda.org.uk as well as our social media platforms to see what will be happening near you.
e The total is in... Over twelve months, nearly 200 people took on 100 different challenges as part of GDA's #GDATurns100 fundraising campaign to celebrate the charity's 100th anniversary. On Thursday 30th January we invited those who had taken on a challenge, to come along to The High Lord Constable of England pub in Gloucester to see just how much their fundraising efforts had raised, and we delighted to share the grand total of £37,238.82! The biggest of thanks to everyone who took on a challenge and to The Windsor Family Trust for very generously donating £10,000 to the campaign through their matched funding scheme. New hearing aid clinics We've added a number of new hearing aid clinics to our roster of clinics that take place in Gloucestershire, for people to get their NHS hearing aids cleaned and re-tubed. Additional clinics are taking place at Yorkley Community Centre Cam Parish Council Office Booking is essential for all clinics. To book your appointment, contact us on 01452 372999 or text 07875 610860. Find other clinics taking place near you at www.gda.org.uk/hearing-aid-clinics. Don't miss Volunteer with GDA GDA relies on the generous support of a team of volunteers to help us continuing providing a range of services to people living with deafness across Gloucestershire. We're always looking for new volunteers to join our team, so if you have any time to spare to assist with running our social clubs, providing general office assistance or supporting our regular hearing aid clinics, please do get in touch on 01452 372999, 07875 610860, volunteering@gda.org.uk or visit www.gda.org.uk/job-vacancies for more information. For more information about any GDA event or club, please contact event@gda.org.uk or 01452 372999, or visit www.gda.org.uk. Winchcombe Street Wellbeing Festival, Saturday 28th March, 10am to 3pm in Cheltenham. Friendship Circle spring outing on Tuesday 28th April, 10am to 2pm - enjoy a steam train journey from Cheltenham to Broadway and back again, finishing with a fish'n'chip lunch. Deaf Awareness Week, 4th to 10th May. Keep posted on the GDA website and social media platforms for stories and promotions that look at 'acquired hearing loss'. Friendship Circle summer party on Tuesday 30th June, 1pm to 3pm at GDA. Free to attend
Better Health Day GDA's Cirencester Deaf Children's Club (CDCC) has been given a new look to kick-start their 2020. The club launched their new name 'The Dalmatians Club' at their March session, where deaf children and their families came along to enjoy a morning of fun activities and games. So, why The Dalmatians Club? Did you know that deafness is very common in dalmatian dogs? Nearly 30% of dalmatians will have hearing loss in one ear, making them a perfect mascot for our new-look club. The Dalmatians Club will meet on the first Saturday of the month, 10am to 12pm at it's new venue at GDA, Colin Road, Barnwood, Gloucester, GL4 3JL. The club welcomes deaf children aged 0 to 8yrs, and their families, as well as deaf parents and their children, and new members are invited to come along at anytime. To find out more about The Dalmatians Club, visit www.gda.org.uk or email us at dalmatiansclub@gda.org.uk.
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