Lifeline Language Services has formed a charity partnership with Deafway.
Based in Preston for over 100 years, Deafway works in the UK and internationally. UK services include residential care services for Deaf people with a range of needs, sign language theatre projects and shows, Deaf heritage and cultural activities and training in British Sign Language for hearing individuals and organisations.
Overseas activities and projects currently focus on Nepal with work including Deaf schools, sign language and older Deaf persons’ projects, as well as a support for a small Deaf school in Uganda.
The charity partnership will see Lifeline donating £1 per every new job opened, which over the course of a year is expected to generate a donation of between £2,000 and £3,000. All further charity work undertaken by the company, such as sponsored staff activities and events, will also be used to raise further funds for Deafway.
The formation of the partnership was celebrated with a Deaf Awareness Day at Lifeline’s Ormskirk Road offices. Deafway’s Animateur, Philippa Merricks, delivered a presentation to the team covering national and international facts and statistics, how to identify that a person may be Deaf, and also appropriate terminology to avoid negative labelling. The core of her presentation introduced the different approaches to deafness and whether it should be considered a ‘disability’ or a ‘gain’ – just another way of being that can in fact improve life.
Philippa said: We are delighted that Lifeline Language Services has chosen to support us during their 25th Anniversary year. The Sign Language community in Preston, and internationally, is such a vibrant community with its own unique heritage, culture and art forms. However, Deaf people locally, nationally and internationally face many unnecessary barriers and there is a lot of work still to be done to overcome this. If you, or anyone you know, are looking to adopt a charity, please get in touch.
For more information go to www.deafway.org.uk.
Photo: Philippa Merricks (Deafway), Christina Eley (Deafway), Jenny Bryce (Lifeline) and Alex Millward (Lifeline) jointly sign Deaf. Way. Life. Line.
