Lottery funding supports new deaf charity project

The funding for Zebra Access will help support deaf people in Wolverhampton and the Black Country

A charity supporting deaf people has launched a new project after being awarded £19,450 in funding from the National Lottery.

Wolverhampton-based charity Zebra Access, which provides support for deaf people in Wolverhampton and the Black Country, said it was thrilled with the funding.

The charity said the money would pay for its two-year Black Country Deaf Reach project, which included health-related activities.

Bob Marsh, managing director of Zebra Access, said: "We will be able to continue providing much-needed support to our local deaf communities for the next two years."

The project will work with local people who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing, providing a scheme of health-related activities for the Black Country's deaf community.

These include Get Deaf Active sessions using British Sign Language (BSL), featuring tai chi, pilates, zumba, aerobics and yoga sessions, or chair exercises for the less mobile.

There will be female health topic workshops, focusing on topics such as cervical screenings and menopause.

As well as this, there will be workshops to help people get a better understanding of condition management for common health issues, such as early detection of diabetes or dementia, with the charity saying the deaf community had a distinct lack of awareness in relation to these.

Zebra Access said many deaf people were falling victim to scams due to their vulnerability, so the funding would also go towards workshops about avoiding scams.

The charity also said the programme would include arts and crafts activities, community events such as coffee mornings and shopping trips, as well as day trips and outings to historical or conservation places of interest, to benefit people dealing with isolation or mental health issues.