2021 Building Centre Update

2021 Building Centre Summary

Here is a brief summary of the main things we have done in 2021 with the building, and also the key projects we have run in 2021.

Building

We have done a lot of work on the building in 2021, slowly opening up for groups to book the centre as restrictions were lifted.

Building work and development includes:

  • Making changes to ensure that the building was safe to use and in line with Government guidelines. This involved setting up a track and trace system, more cleaning equipment, and regular cleaning of the centre; 
  • General repairs of the building were completed, including repairing the leak in the roof; 
  • The Centre has been open again for: the Saturday monthly coffee mornings, Sign Language classes, Deaf Cool Youth Group, Sunday Signing School for deaf children and parents, Counselling, Barracwda drumming and the Church group;
  • We have CCTV in place to improve security, with the hope of becoming a Deaf Cafe in the future. CCTV is only checked for safety reasons.

Projects

We have undertaken many projects in 2021, these are as follows:

  • Energy Redress Project, providing accessible information and advice for Deaf people on their energy usage; please contact Rachel England if you would like some more information on the project at [email protected];
  • Digital Inclusion, delivering Ipads and tablets to Deaf people during the lockdown, with the support and assistance of the BDA, RNID and the Care and Repair Team;
  • Census project, providing access in BSL for Deaf people who needed support with filling in the census;
  • Heritage Project, a project on the historical experiences of Deaf people in South Wales and exploring the history of Cardiff Deaf Centre, local Deaf centres and the community, we hope to publicly launch this in the new year;
  • Intersectionality project, bringing together BSL users, Welsh language speakers, and the Black community to create projects and improve collaboration between these different groups in the arts; 
  • Kickstart Project, we have been working with Wales Council of Voluntary Associations (WCVA) on the Kickstart scheme and employed two young Deaf people to work at the Hub, enabling them to gain valuable work experience.

Finally

Whilst Coronavirus has made life difficult we are proud of what we have achieved this year and with your support we will continue to improve in 2022.

Steve Emery, Building Centre Manager, Deaf Hub Wales

Created: 23 December 2021