Deaf club for children in Cirencester.

[Richard Holmes]

Watch Jackie describe how she set up a deaf club for children in Cirencester. In Assest Based Community Develoment terms, Jackie is a true connector. She knows lots of people in her community and is able to leverage their help to make things happen in her community. She also uses local assets in the heart of the community. If you're like Jackie then we would really like to hear from you.

Cirencester Deaf Club for Children started when I found that there were no children from this side of Birdlip going to GDA Deaf Club in Gloucester.  I knew there were several children in this area

I thought we could start meeting once a month, which is what they do at GDA.  I also knew somebody who had stage 2 BSL signing. I approached Rachel and she was interested.  I knew we had wonderful premises in Cirencester because the Soroptimists had funded the Cirencester Opportunity over many years.  Everything there is geared to small children - low loos and wash basins, wendyhouse, dressing up - everything is there.  They were unsure at first, but I managed to persuade them to give us a 3 or 6 month trial and now we have been there for over 15 months.

And we have grown.   For our Christmas party we had something like 30 children.  They are not all deaf.  We do allow siblings to come and also hearing children of deaf parents because they are very isolated and they need support too.  We always have craft and signed songs.  In august we will have a teddy bears picnic.

We have received support from the community in Cirencester - Rotary, Waitrose and a women’s group from Stratton.