Hello and welcome to our third newsletter - read on for some interesting news!

Our new website

We’ve given our website a makeover, as we felt it was looking rather information-heavy and the design needed a bit of tweaking.  So, we’re proud to present our new website, complete with clear, concise information, a clean design and a funky new Flash animation on the front page!  You can see it for yourself at our website – we hope you agree that it looks good – if you have any comments about it, including anything you think we can improve, email me; we’ll be pleased to hear from you.

Our charity

Jonathan has known Dominique “Domy” Banza–Mwenze from Deaf Education Africa Foundation (D.E.A.F) for five or six years now and is familiar with his organisation’s aim to raise money for Deaf children and adults in Africa.  Domy’s mission is to send them money to create education and employment opportunities and escape the poverty they are living in.  He wants to support them to improve their lives and their future prospects.

To show our support, we have agreed to maintain D.E.A.F ’s website free of charge, updating it for as long as they want us to.  Jonathan will also be going to see Domy and his Board next year to discuss fundraising possibilities and how we can help.  From that meeting, Jonathan will organise some fundraising for D.E.A.F; an exciting opportunity for him to support African Deaf children.  Depending on the funds raised, we may even get an invitation to go to Africa and hand over the money.  Watch this space!

Go to our charity website, please click here.

Police training

Recently, we were invited along to Cheshire Police Headquarters in Winsford to deliver some 30-minute Deaf Awareness and Communication Tactics training sessions to groups of their staff; a nice, friendly bunch (they were also being taught BSL by West Cheshire College).  It went really well and was an enjoyable day, so a big “thank you” goes to Cheshire Police HQ.

Jonathan’s WFA Media course

Jonathan is attended a City & Guilds media course for Deaf people at WFA, a well-known media organisation in the North West.  He has certainly learned a vast array of media skills so far, including filming, video editing and other aspects of production.  Jonathan has nothing but praise for WFA, and was also delighted to get the chance to meet and chat with one of the Coronation Street directors while he was there!

“Everything about the course and the tutors, everything, is brilliant, just top!” says Jonathan; “The people there are helpful and friendly, there’s a great atmosphere and they have fantastic computers and other technical equipment, including top-of-the range video editing stuff.  It’s all so well organised and professional and they make you feel welcome.  They’ve even got a little black dog called Mac (sometimes accompanied by another dog called Jack!), who is a daily feature and contributes to the laid-back environment.  It’s just so cool.  Obviously I’m enjoying the course and its challenges ... and I hope I pass and get a certificate after I completed my nine weeks!”

The boss of WFA, Wowo, believes Deaf and hearing people are equal and wants to encourage more Deaf people to take part in WFA training.  They will be running a five-day course for Deaf people in December (starting on December 11th), free for people who live in Manchester, or £179 for people who don’t.  Download the PDF file on their website for more information, please click here to go to their website - Jonathan says it will be well worth it!

Their media company website is www.wfamedia.co.uk

Michelle’s Education course

Jonathan is not the only one on a training course – his business partner Michelle is currently doing a Professional Certificate in Education at Bolton University.  Ultimately, Michelle wants to gain a degree in teaching.  She’s enjoying working hard on her course at the moment, and Jonathan would like to wish her the best of luck!

Bye for now!

Thanks for reading this newsletter – we hope you enjoyed it – our fourth edition will be out in about three months’ time.  Have a great time over Christmas and have a happy new year!

Go to August 2007 E-newsletter