Deaf Café started by N Walsham Salvation Army

The Salvation Army in North Walsham has launched a monthly café where members of the hearing and deaf communities can meet together to share their experiences and practise their signing skills.

The Deaf café was set up after Territorial Envoy Ruth Morey, who leads The Salvation Army in the town, was approached by the North Walsham Good Neighbours Scheme who had been running a basic sign language course in the town library.
 
Ruth said: “After the course had finished, the deaf community and other people who were enjoying learning sign language felt they had been left a bit high and dry. They didn’t really have anywhere they could get together to practise. Our new Deaf café means people who were on the course can now continue to learn and use this important and inclusive communication skill.”
 
The new café is already proving very popular, with around 20 people have attending from 10am till 12pm on the third Saturday of every month at the church on Hall Lane. North Norfolk MP Duncan Baker attended the cafe on March 16 and spent the morning learning sign language.
 
Ruth said, “We have previously hosted a sign language course at our church which was well attended by people from other churches and Salvation Army members. We hope to run another later in the year. We also hold a coffee morning on a Thursday and have a conversational table for the deaf community where sign language users and sign language learners can have a chat over a cuppa and cake. It is a sign that the church is becoming more inclusive, and plans are already underway for a signed carol service at Christmas.”
 
Wendy McManus, a member of the church who attended the earlier sign language course at the church, said: “Initiatives like this could help with new opportunities and lead to the church growing and being more inclusive to all members of our community. People who are deaf should be made to feel welcome and it is great to be able to communicate with people for whom signing is their first language.  We’re learning a new skill so we need to practise, and the café is a brilliant idea.”
 
The photo is courtesy of The Salvation Army.

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