History - How did it start

In 1998-99, Eva Fielding Jackson (Youth Officer, BDA Wales) worked alongside the YMCA & WYA (Wales Youth Agency) to arrange a program to train Deaf youth to become Part-Time Youth Workers. In those two years, 27 Deaf Youth and one hearing person involved in this partnership and successfully became- Part- Time Youth Workers.

The aims of this group were to go out as groups or teams to set up Youth Clubs for Deaf Youth. ‘Talking Hands’ is the first one set up by four of the part-time Youth Workers from the original group.

How did we do it?

Well, it wasn’t easy, it took almost a year- we all became qualified in ’98 or Jan ’99. From there we met with the C.V.S (Council for Voluntary Service) several times, applied for Millennium Volunteers Award funding, met with Youth Service managers, co- ordinates, visited Schools where we knew Deaf youth attended, looked for a suitable building to hold the Youth Club.

We also worked with outside organisations like, peripatetic teachers of the Deaf who worked with Deaf Youth in mainstream Schools, the local N.D.C.S group, BDA and RNID. These groups have been able to help us contact young people we would not have met- through our visits to Schools, Colleges.

What next?

When we received the funding, we needed to buy equipment & materials. We visited the place we had decided to hold Youth Club to do a full risk assessment. We agreed some changes with the Youth Service Manager e.g. flashing lights for the fire alarms, a special lock for the door that lets people on the inside out- but people on the outside could not get in. Finally, we got together and decided on a date to open in November ’99, sent out information to Schools, Colleges, peripatetic, NDCS, BDA & RNID and waited.

What Happened?

On our open evening, we all arrived early, we were so nervous- would anyone turn up, would the hard work be worth it? We set up equipments, tuck shop, made a cup of tea, last minutes chat, arrangements and preparation…………. Twenty Youth turned up that night. It was fantastic to see their faces, meeting old friends, making new ones, for some of it was the first time they had met Deaf adults and they were amazed. Most of the night, no-one used the equipments, they wanted to talk to each others, find out about Ian, Cathie and Kate- were they Deaf from birth, parents deaf or hearing- where they went to Schools, brothers/ sisters, work and everything except what size shoes they were!!!

Then

Once the youth had settled, we decided it would be nice to have an official opening to say thank you to all the people involved in helping us to start up. This was held in February 2000. Over 80 people attended from Millenium Volunteer Award, Schools, BDA, RNID, NDCS, Social Services, Learning Support, Youth Services, C.V.S, youth members, parents, the Mayor of Swansea and some Councillors.

The youth and parent had a great time, meeting all the people who had helped behind the scenes to make our youth club happen.

Now

Well, three years later we are still running. We have regular attendance of between 15- 20 youth who cover of an area of about 70- 80 miles around Youth Club. This has proved to us the need for more Youth Clubs for Deaf Youth, who’s parents or willing to travell such distances for their child to spend a few hours with deaf friends and experience Deaf culture.

What about you

If you read this and feel you would like to do the same, we would like to say if we can, we will help with information and support. It is not easy……but it is so rewarding.

NOTE: The youth workers and volunteers who work at ‘Talking Hands’ receive no payment of any kind for the work they do. We are a voluntary organisation.