CEO Chat #21
Sunshine, sunshine, sunshine….what a glorious week. Thanks to the sterling efforts of the Give a Day Kendal team last autumn, it’s a real delight for our Kendal deaf club and our centre users to be able to enjoy the back yard, sheltered by parasols in a cool corner. I will admit to taking a coffee break or two out there.
In between the moments in the sunshine, there has been plenty of real work done;
Wednesday was the first meeting of the BSL Alliance, a group led by the British Deaf Association, to champion and further the use of BSL. Please see the link for more information. https://limpingchicken.com/2023/01/18/british-deaf-association-to-launch-bsl-alliance-to-monitor-bsl-advisory-boards-progress/
Thursday I was invited to chat with Marie Vickers, Head of Domestic Abuse Services with SignHealth who provide services in BSL to support victims of domestic violence or sexual abuse. This conversation is part of an ongoing discussion and series of events. We will be hosting some events for them in Cumbria, once their new team has settled in. In the meantime we have printed a batch of their leaflets to share around the county, please contact the office if you would like some for your organisation. https://signhealth.org.uk/with-deaf-people/domestic-abuse/
Friday I had the pleasure of attending a Cumbria Chamber of Commerce for one of their Networking Lunches. These lunches are a great opportunity to meet, speak with and ask questions of your local MP while enjoying a 2-course lunch and networking with other businesses. I was sat at the table with Tim Farron MP, who is also one of our Patrons.
Saturday was a real team learning day because Nicola had arranged a training day for us, the subject being Dementia and Deafness presented by Dr Emma Ferguson-Coleman. Emma is a Research Fellow at the University of Manchester and is being funded by Alzheimer’s Society for her current research study into the support needs of Deaf carers who care for people with dementia. https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/researcher–wins–award-for-film-raising-awareness-of-deaf-people-affected-by-dementia/