YDA ANNUAL REPORT 2023-2024
Green Street/Aylesbury Youth Club
Both youth clubs have been running smoothly and effectively.
There have been a variety of activities at both sites, for example Arts, crafts, games and cooking, along with outdoor activities.
Over 18’s organised their Christmas meal, it was hosted at Zizzi’s in High Wycombe, it was a success! Everyone really enjoyed themselves. We are planning on organising another Christmas event hopefully at the buffet restaurant in Milton Keynes.
Halloween
Over 30 members and staff were present. We split into two groups, under 11s remained downstairs and over 11s stayed upstairs with variety of games such as guess what’s in the bowl, freeze dancing, hide and seek, doughnut challenge, while the older members played noughts and crosses on chairs, dart challenges, soft ball games and many more. Everybody brought food to share which was fantastic. All members wore fancy dress, all of them looked AWESOME!
Christmas Party
This went very well and thanks go to all the staff who worked so hard to make it such a great event, including those who arranged the fingerspelling activity.
Christmas Pant
This was a fantastic success and the children were awestruck with the visual entertainment of light colours and special effects!
Easter Holiday Activities
Week 1
We had a large number of children so we split them into three groups for the morning session.
Group A made chocolate cornflakes, Group B painted on plastic easter eggs and Group C played football with members of staff in the playing field.
After break the three groups swapped around.
In the afternoon we had visitors from the Reptile show, where they all thoroughly enjoyed learning about these animals and how to handle them properly.
Week 2
Many members were on holiday so we had a smaller number of members compared to last week, we split into two groups.
Group A Origami – they enjoyed learning how to create both of these and then play with them. It was lovely to see the different ideas the children chose to put in their origami.
Group B cooked – mini cheesecake, they enjoyed learning how to create cheesecake from scratch, some of them wanted to eat while others wanted to take home to share with their families.
We swapped the group after break.
After lunch, young members joined me (Mary Fallon) creating little Easter chicks while the older members played sports in the field with male staff.
Easter Trips
Battersea Power Station (older members)
We went up the lift to floor 109! We had an awesome view of London. We also learned the history of the Power Station and how the machinery works. All members were in awe to inspect all of the ins and outs of the Battersea Power Station. We were so incredibly lucky to bump into a Michelin Star Gordon Ramsay outside his restaurant and he was so kind and happy to have a photo taken with us.
Tiggywinkles (young members)
We had a lovely day looking at hedgehogs and other small animals. The staff were kind showing us the baby hoglets and explained how they cope in the environment and in the wild. After lunch the children drew and coloured in some paper crafts in the Education Centre and then out to play in the adventure playground before heading home. All children really enjoyed visiting the Tiggywinkles site, some even wanted to take hedgehogs home!
Deaf Day (13/4/24)
As you may already be aware we have an Annual Deaf Day event in London held for the deaf and hard of hearing from all over the UK . This event allows our members to meet other deaf individuals from across the country, learn about their future education like university and careers, find out more information about other businesses they may be interested in, or many other pop up stalls filled with charities, deaf schools and emergency services.
They also hold many deaf awareness sites and activities, to encourage and expand on knowledge.
One of their stalls, was the British Deaf History in Society. Our members were really interested in learning the facts and changes that have been made over the years! They learned how BSL sign language came about, their native language, so they could get a further understanding of themselves and the history behind it. At Deaf Day, they offer free taster workshops for everyone to interact and join. Our members found this fun and very interactive due to the visuals. The members found this day very informative and made new connections and friends from across the UK.Some members who had never been to Deaf Day before, could not believe the amount of deaf people in the same room! It was great for them to see truly how big the deaf community is!
Respite Trips
Disney
We went to Excel by tube and train and explored the new Disney 100 years anniversary exhibition, they enjoyed browsing all Disney characters from past to present and were pleased to meet some mascot cartoon characters. They were all worn out on the return journey!
London Over 11s
Upon arrival to the O2, we browsed inside the building filled with the variety of different shops, restaurants and events. I let them decide for themselves on what they would fancy for lunch and which activity they would like to do. They chose two activities.
After lunch, they chose to play bowling. We booked a one hour slot for them. The atmosphere was great fun and they really enjoyed themselves.
Then we went on to the cable nearby travelling in the air across the River Thames. Some were amazed to see the city buildings of Canary Wharf from such a different point of view, in the sky!
We walked around on the other side of the River Thames, before boarding the cable journey back to our destination. One member said this was the highlight of the whole experience!
Holiday Activities
Week 1
Group A made clay gargoyles, this was thoroughly enjoyed by all, they loved creating and decorating their models.
Group B made burgers from scratch, they loved learning new skills in the kitchen, such as the correct boards for vegetables, meat etc, chopping, mixing and so on. At the end they were able to eat their burgers, which they all said were delicious. After break the two groups swapped round.
In the afternoon we all enjoyed playing outside with the large lawn games like connect 4 and Jenga as well as football.
Week 2
Group A Origami (snake and flextangles) they enjoyed learning how to create both of these and then play with them, it was lovely to see the different ideas the children chose to put in their flextangles, lots of laughs were had.
Group B cooked sweet and sour chicken/vegetarian with rice from scratch, Again the children really enjoyed learning and improving their kitchen skills. After lunch we played 4 corners race – luckily it did not rain!
Week 3
Group A Sensory art and Group B the children learnt how to make chicken tikka from scratch. They learnt about all the different spices that are used, and which ones to use more or less of to make their curries hot or mild. All the children enjoyed learning about and eating their curries.
In the afternoon Nathan took a group outside to play Football, a few of them preferred to stay indoors with me playing UNO. On this day the weather was extremely warm so we ensured that all the children drank lots of water/squash to avoid dehydration.
Week 4
The whole group joined in to create a large banner for YDA’s 30th birthday, it was decorated with the children’s handprints and all members and staff names were on it. While some were decorating the banner others made small cakes for everyone to share and enjoy later.
In the afternoon 7 families joined us for some fun. We had 3 legged races and there were lots of laughs watching everyone join in. There were certainly some creative ways to win!! Some of the older boys played football with staff and two of the dads joined in.
It was a fabulous way to finish off a wonderful summer holiday of activities.
Summer Trips
Trip to the farm: The weather was nice and the children loved the farm. One child had been frightened to feed the goats but, with encouragement, put out a hand and realised the goat wanted to nuzzle, not bite. Later the child kept talking about this and told their parents with pride.
Trip to Hollywood Bowling and McDonalds: The younger children enjoyed this and some asked if they could stay for longer for bowling. The children clearly enjoyed being more independent without their families around.
Buckingham Palace
This was a brilliant experience and the members would like to go again or visit another palace. Everyone arrived at Marylebone and walked for one hour through part of Mayfair and Hyde Park. There was a car show of very expensive cars, such as BMWs and Aston Martins, and this got the children talking about the high prices and the engine capacity. Many had never seen luxury cars before. Half the group went to Wetherspoons pub and the other half to another food outlet. They got together again to visit the palace, where they loved the history, the beautiful rooms and ornaments, and paintings of kings and queens. A bonus was the provision of a video tablet giving information in BSL.
Flight Club social darts
This was unusual with lots of lights and a funfair atmosphere. There was regular darts but also different competitions, such as “Demolition” and “Donkey Derby”. Repeating this trip during October half-term is a possibility, although the evenings will be darker, and the members might prefer a different evening in London, especially now they are a bit older and can stay out later.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Halloween
We are planning on holding a Halloween party on 19th October, staff are being encouraged to dress up or use face paint for the event.
Christmas Party
A magician has been booked for this years Christmas party. We will also have party games and a visit from the special man himself Father Christmas, (no decisions have been made for who this will be). We will not be attending the BSL signed performance of the Wycombe Swan Pantomime on 31st December, due to low numbers of interest, but I will try and book a panto at the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury instead.
Feedback from parents and members
Parent of KD
YDA youth group is attended by our son and his brother, in a hearing-sibling capacity. Both boys enjoy the activities on offer and have developed some great friendships within the group. As parents we are very lucky to have YDA to support us all and to have the opportunity for our son to develop his unique deaf identity alongside knowledgeable deaf leaders and role models. We know the boys are safe and having such a great time when they attend sessions. It’s reassuring to know that our son has people around him that understand his needs. He can be himself and has grown up to understand that many people have different hearing losses and manage this well , with or without assistive technology. Thank you Mary and team for making such a difference!
Parent of AR
I am writing to provide feedback on my child’s experience with Young Deaf Activities (YDA).
Firstly, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the incredible work you do. My child has been attending YDA for the past few years, and the positive impact on their social and emotional development has been remarkable. The sense of community and belonging they feel at YDA is truly invaluable.
One of the aspects we appreciate most is the inclusive environment you foster. The activities are not only engaging but also tailored to meet the diverse needs of deaf children. My child particularly enjoys the monthly sessions where he is able to take part in activities, such as football and crafts. YDA provides the opportunity to connect with peers who share similar experiences. This has significantly boosted my child’s confidence and communication skills.
Additionally, the staff at YDA deserve special mention. Their dedication, patience, and understanding create a supportive atmosphere where my child feels safe and encouraged to express themselves.
Overall, our experience with YDA has been overwhelmingly positive, and we are grateful for the opportunities it provides. Thank you for your continued commitment to supporting deaf children and their families. We look forward to many more enriching experiences with YDA.
Parent of KS
Keeley has become more confident in herself through speech & signing thanks to the support of the YDA adult team as well as making friends with both young & older children who attend.
The time she has spent with other children with hearing impairments has helped her grow in confidence. She has fun communicating in BSL & enjoys socialising with everyone to learn more signing.
At Youth Club Keeley says she enjoys the baking then eating all they have made, getting creative with the arts & crafts & when everyone played games outside in the summer holidays it was so much fun!
She loves interacting with the younger children who also have hearing loss & tells me she feels proud of herself in making new friends within YDA.
Feedback from children
WH
‘ I enjoy coming so I can hang out with my mates’ V & M ‘
I really love cooking and making burgers was super fun!
I am looking forward to Halloween & Christmas party’s.
As a parent, the YDA club has given me support and advice, it’s somewhere’ W’ can go and be with his friends. He can relax in a great youth club and all the staff are amazing and always helpful..
YDA is fantastic and it has supported so many parents / carers who have deaf children.
Please keep up the amazing work.
I should like to express my thanks to the amazing staff and volunteers for their hard work throughout the year. Without them these activities would not be possible.
Finally a massive thank you has to go to the parents for their continuous support. Without our loyal parents, wonderful children, and the generous funding our clubs wouldn’t exist, so a huge thanks to you all.
Mary Fallon, Youth Club Manager
September 2024
PSG AND HCC ANNUAL REPORT 2023-2024
PSG Report
| Month of PSG Saturday Session | Number of families with deaf children |
| September 2023 | 2 |
| October | 2 |
| November | 2 |
| December | 3 |
| January 2024 | 2 Lorenzo started |
| February | 4 |
| February | 4 Sunday Meet Up at Costa Coffee |
| March | 4 |
| April | 6 Trip to Aston Clinton Park inviting existing and previous families to attend |
| April | 4 |
| May | 6 Trip to Thomley inviting existing and previous families to attend |
| May | 3 |
| June | 4 |
| June | 3 Sunday Meet Up at Costa Coffee |
| July | 3 |
| August 2024 | 5 Sunday Trip to Aston Clinton Park inviting existing and previous families to attend |
Parent Support Group are continuing to offer craft, cooking and free play. I’m very grateful that Lorenzo is able to assist in the running of our group again and act as a deaf role model for our young members. We have 9 families that are involved in PSG that we see at different times throughout the year. There has been a definite advantage to meeting on Sundays as we meet with families that are unable to commit to Saturdays due to work commitments.
The trips offered to previous families has also been advantageous as it allows parents to converse about topics that relate to when their child gets older, for example school, swimming with a cochlear implant, flying with a cochlear implant etc.
You can see from the table above that our regular number of families attending is 4 and on trips we have seen numbers rise to 5 and 6. The Littleuns Group, run on a week day by Speech And Language Therapists and Teachers of the Deaf that I mentioned in my previous report has sadly decided to take a break with its sessions due to no families attending their last few dates.
I am in the process of arranging our annual trip to Chickenshed Theatre and have invited our PSG families to YDA’s Magic Show at Mary Fallon’s Youth Club.
I’ve included some feedback below from our families to show the positive impact PSG is having on them:
‘We are very thankful for the opportunity to meet other families of deaf children and to hear about their coping strategies. We are especially thankful for Jade and all the effort she makes. Thank you Jade.’
‘Being part of PSG makes us feel far better equipped. Being able to share experiences with other parents who have been through a similar thing has taken away some of the “unknowns” and made us feel more in control of our child’s life. It has also given us more confidence.’
‘I can’t begin to say how much PSG has equipped me for navigating life with a deaf child. The good, the hard, the sad and the happy. All of it. Thanks to PSG.’
‘We absolutely love YDA’s PSG. We’ve met lots of parents. Through the group we’ve been able to learn about other support we could utilise, apply for ehcp & dla etc. It’s been a great source of moral support. The children love the activities that are put on and learn lots through them. We’ve loved the opportunity to learn sign language. We look forward to each meet up a great deal.’
‘My child loves coming to PSG and seeing Lorenzo. He absolutely adores him! Having a positive deaf role model is so important for your children.’
‘During the summer holidays A’s hearing dropped on her right ear to not really having any hearing at all, this was a worrying and stressful time. Having YDA’S PSG to meet up with who have been a part of our life for years makes a big difference to us, as it provides support, advice and someone to talk things through with. Thank you YDA and Jade for this great support group, we don’t know what we would have done without you all over the years.’
Home Communication Club (HCC) Report
The table below shows the number of families that our deaf tutors have taught sign language to during March 2023 – September 2024.
We’ve experienced quite a few changes during this period, Helen Wain (Age Concern) is no longer involved, Bucks Vision have had two staff changes and Hannah Morgan, Hearing Support Services Manager has left the post. We very sadly lost one of our deaf tutors too due to their work commitments with their main job. We currently have two regular deaf tutors and a potential further two joining us in the new year.
I am building a good relationship with the new member of staff at Bucks Vision and Steve Naylor continues to be a pleasure to work with. I am yet to meet Hannah Morgans replacement but I have been in contact with her previously regarding HCC referrals.
Number of families supported
| Period Taught | Number of families supported |
| July 2023 – September 2023 | 5 Families |
| October 2023 – December 2023 | 3 Families |
| January 2024 – March 2024 | 2 Families |
| April 2024 – June 2024 | 4 Families (including a private nursery and private family) |
| July 2024 – September 2024 | 5 Families (including a private nursery and private family) |
HCC families feedback
| Questions asked | Family M Answers | Family O Answers | Family E Answers |
| 1. Are you satisfied with YDA’s Home Communication Club? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2. Have the Sign Language sessions made a difference to your child and family? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 3. Were the sessions the right length and number? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 4. Would you recommend the Home Communication Club to other families? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 5. Please tell us your thoughts about the Home Communication Club. |
HCC is such a wonderful service we are all eternally grateful for! Our tutor was so kind and patient with us. She was flexible and informative and made the sessions fun and enjoyable for the whole family with games and role play. We now have a great foundation for our BSL journey and are all very sad to come to the end of our course! Thank you to out tutor and the HCC, you are all amazing!
|
Our tutor was fantastic. We were so impressed and grateful that the lessons were free and at our home. This removed any barriers towards being able to learn BSL. It opened the door to communication with our son and continues to assist us even now that he has his implant.
Our tutor offered a curriculum, which was really helpful at the start as we didn’t know what we wanted to learn yet. But she also tailored the sessions to specific requirements when we asked.
We would highly recommend anyone with a deaf child to take these lessons. It has opened us up to the deaf community. |
Really great service and opportunity for our family. Tailored to E’s and our life. Our tutor was especially helpful and a great source of information and support. As well as learning to sign it was also a lovely opportunity to chat about E’s school life with someone with experience working in school and who had lots of useful insights and advise. |
I would like to reinforce what I express at every meeting. We are very fortunate to have a skilled, dedicated and experienced team working for HCC. It is very important to acknowledge the outstanding work that our deaf tutors do with HCC. The feedback is a testament to their hard work.
Jade Costello
HCC and PSG Manager