NEWS, USEFUL LINKS & RESOURCES
We warmly welcome all parents, family members, volunteers & professionals working with deaf children to join our local Group.
Membership is FREE - Simply fill out the membership form by clicking on the link below and ensure you OPT IN to receive emails.
Local groups are affiliated to the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) - The NDCS Helpline is a valued service they offer to families for support & advice. To access this service call the NDCS Helpline on 0808 800 8880 or email helpline@ndcs.org.uk
LOCAL GROUPS
Join Us
We provide support in Swindon & North Wiltshire to families with children who are deaf or have a hearing loss.
Our group was established by parents who have children with a hearing loss over 25 years ago. It is still run by volunteer parents today.
We organise fun events, provide a great network of families, hold fund raisers and offer information and support, to children who are deaf or have a hearing loss and their families in the Swindon & North Wiltshire area through our free membership scheme.
We also work closely with audiology and other professional organisations involved in the day to day care of our children.
Deaf children are vulnerable to isolation, bullying and poor self-esteem
Deafness is not a learning disability
1,600 babies are born deaf in the UK every year
MEMBER SUPPORT
USEFUL LINKS
Make a donation to Swindon and North Wilts
Deaf Children's Society through JustGiving
The DCS offers two types of funding applications- Individual Member Grants to support our young deaf members and a funding scheme for individuals and organisations, for proposals that benefit deaf children, young people and their families, including privately organised events.
CHSWG- Children's Hearing Support Working Group. The next meeting will be held on 23rd September on Microsoft Teams, from 11-12.30. Parents and carers very welcome to join. Please contact jcoote@swindon.gov.uk for an MS Teams invite. As part of the meeting Sarah Collinson from NDCS-National Deaf Children's Society will be giving a short presentation about Acoustics and improving the listening environment in settings.
Annual General Meeting: Following a successful AGM held through Zoom on Wednesday 19th May 2021, we would like to introduce your committee for 2021/22:
Chairperson - Millie Green
Secretary- Emily Beardshall
Treasurer - Natasha Gallagher
Safeguarding Officer - Salim Suleman
Committee Member - Sarah-jane Fletcher
Committee Member - Louis Butcher
The roles of chair, secretary and treasurer all hold trustee positions.
Thank you so much for all your support. If you would like a copy of the minutes, once approved, please email us at; swindon@ndcsgroup.org.uk
NDCS online community forum: Staying connected online is now more important than ever. The NDCS have launched a fabulous online community forum: WELCOME TO YOUR COMMUNITY. This online forum is Your Community, a safe place to get tips, ask questions, share experiences and connect with other parents and carers of deaf children and young people. If you haven’t registered on the website yet please visit ndcs.org.uk/membership/register/ If you’re already registered you just need to 'log in'.
NDCS Virtual Events: NDCS offer a wide range of online events and courses for deaf children, young people, their parents and families. Upcoming sessions include Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP), support with remote learning, supporting parents new to hearing loss, baby and preschool coffee mornings, an intro to technology and apps for young deaf children, plus lots more! Full details of all of the upcoming events and how to book your free places are available at ndcs.org.uk/our-services/our-events/
Signalong Virtual Courses: Swindon Paediatric Speech and Language Therapy Services are offering free virtual Signalong workshops over Microsoft Teams, for parents/carers of children who are seen by the service. For more information please contact Gaby Smith, Speech and Language Therapy Support Practitioner by email: GSmith@swindon.gov.uk with your name, contact details and the name of your child.