Bollywood Dance Classes start in February. Please see above poster for details.

Our dance classes will be taught by talented Deaf dancer Nehal Bhogaita. As always, contact us if you need more information or would like to discuss the classes.

Action Deafness, Cultural department:

Telephone: 0116 2533205

Email: hearnow@actiondeafness.org.uk

SMS: 0778 3496641

In line with our vision and mission statements, we have won several prestigious contracts for work-based assessments for D/deaf people around the UK. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to ensure that D/deaf people are given equality of opportunity and independence in the workplace through top quality assessments to enable and encourage them to work to their full potential.

We are therefore looking to expand our pool of high quality freelance assessors for Access to Work assessments for whole of the South of England.

• Do you have any experience of carrying out Access to Work assessments?

Or…

• Do you have experience of assessing in other areas, but your skills could be transferred to assessing D/deaf people’s access in the workplace?

And…

• Do you live in the south of England and would be happy to travel within a 50 mile radius of your home?

If you would like to know more about the opportunities of working for Action Deafness as a freelance Assessor, working with us to provide a service of excellence for D/deaf people in the workplace, then please contact us as soon as possible.

Please contact Action Deafness on 0116 2533208 or email at jazmann@actiondeafness.org.uk

You are invited to an Open Forum.

We would like to…

• Update you on whats going on at Action Deafness from trustees and staff
• Give you the opportunity to find out how we are doing
• Find out your views

Tuesday 31st January 2012

The Firs, 689 Aylestone Road, Leicester LE2 8TH

6.30 PM -8.30 PM

BSL interpreting & lipspeaking available

Drop in advice sessions with local police officers

Police officers in Leicester are supporting the launch of a new drop-in service for people who are Deaf and hard of hearing, which is aimed at removing the barriers to communication that often make accessing police services very difficult for those communities.

The drop-in sessions will be held at the Action Deafness offices at the Peepul Centre, Orchardson Avenue, Leicester. Starting on Wednesday, February 1, 2012, the drop-in service will be held on the first Wednesday of every month, from 10am to 12 noon.

British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters will be available to aid communication between police officers and D/deaf people whose first language is BSL. A loop system will also be available for hard of hearing people who have appropriate hearing aids.

D/deaf awareness training sessions have been provided to 16 police officers by Action Deafness Cultural, and it is from this group that the drop-in service will be staffed. The training ensures officers understand and are better prepared to work with people from the Deaf and hard of hearing communities. However, British Sign Language to level one standard will be provided to police officers by Action Deafness in the future.

Sergeant Sarah Widdowson is the team leader for the Belgrave and Latimer neighbourhood beat teams who work in this area, and has also received the awareness training. She said: “The presence of the police at the drop-in sessions will ensure people from the Deaf and hard of hearing communities benefit from advice on a variety of police subjects, for example neighbour disputes, anti-social behaviour and crime reporting. The service will increase their accessibility to mainstream services, and provide a wide range of advice and information to a group within the community that has always been difficult to reach. The Peepul Centre is in exactly the right location, and is able to host this service within its wide range of community services.”

Jaz Mann, Manager for the Action Deafness Cultural department said: “We are so pleased that the Leicestershire Police have recognised the need to make their services accessible for Deaf and hard of hearing people, and it is encouraging to see the innovative ways we have been able to work together.”

For more information about this initiative, please contact Action Deafness Cultural on 0116 2533205 ; or email: hearnow@actiondeafness.org.uk; SMS 0781 695 0186.

For more information about local policing, follow the link:  http://www.leics.police.uk/policing/8_city_bcu/24_keyham_lane/

Would you like to receive community messages from your local police, free of charge? Follow the link to register to receive messages by email, landline or mobile phone text: https://www.neighbourhoodlink.co.uk/

Free Health event at the Peepul Centre, Leicester. Please share the Facebook event with anyone who might like to attend: https://www.facebook.com/events/248759061845825/

Notice of Annual General Meeting

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that  the 2011 Annual General Meeting  of Action Deafness (Leicester & County Mission 226864 and Loughborough & District Mission 244891 & Action Deafness Limited 06706042) will be held at the Peepul Centre, Orchardson Avenue, Leicester, LE4 6DP, on Tuesday 22^nd November 2011 at 12.30pm.

Please note the Open Forum Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 17^th January 2012 at 6.00pm. Venue will be confirmed shortly.

Please contact Action Deafness by email: enquiries@actiondeafness.org.uk

On Tuesday September 27^th 2011, a team of 6 people performed a Tandem Skydive for Action Deafness. Euan Carter, Russell James, Tom Smith, Elaine Carnie, Becky Palmer, and James Smith who is profoundly deaf, collectively raised more than £2,300 for the charity.

Mother and daughter, Elaine and Becky both took the plunge and were the top fundraisers for the event. Elaine has worked for the charity for over 12 years and always gets involved with events. Elaine said ‘Becky has always taken an interest in my work but I really didn’t think it would extend to skydiving!’

The jump took place at Langar Airfield just outside of Nottingham on Tuesday 27^th September. After a foggy start, the skies cleared and our team were called through to be given basic training and practise their positions!

Soon after they were taken up to just over 13 000 ft, nearly 3 miles high! Freefalling down to 5000 feet and then gliding down in a tandem parachute, it was a truly breath-taking experience that left them speechless and full of adrenalin. Russell had the top speed of the group, reaching 147 mph!

Tom had a video made of his jump and this will be online soon. James and his tandem instructor worked out a series of ‘taps’ to communicate to James which stance to land in after parachuting. All received a Certificate confirming their skydive.

Denise Fundraiser for Action Deafness said ‘We are already organising our next skydive and hope this will be bigger than the last.  I am so proud of the whole team and it has created an air of enthusiasm around the office.’

Anyone wishing to take part in a Skydive with Action Deafness please contact Denise Hodgson on 0116 2533214.