June Wins Award.

A Gwent Police community volunteer has been recognised for her efforts at the National Policing Improvement Agency's annual Special Constable and Police Support Volunteer Awards.

The awards recognise the wide range of skills that volunteers bring to policing in England and Wales. Gwent Police volunteer June Webb, who is Deaf, won in the Police Support Volunteers category for helping to improve the force' s service to Deaf and Hard of Hearing members of the public. She has also co-ordinated crime prevention initiatives in local Deaf clubs and improved the local police's understanding of Deaf culture.

Her work has helped Gwent Police win the National Police Learning and Development Programme of the Year. Deputy Chief Constable of Gwent Police, Jeff Farrar who is the Special Constabulary and Volunteers lead for the four welsh forces said: "I would like to congratulate June for her achievement. It's excellent news that June has been recognised by a national organisation for her commitment to identify and fill gaps in Gwent Police's service delivery to the Deaf community.

"Her efforts, together with those of our other volunteers, have helped the force achieve national recognition as a lead police service in the field of engagement with the Deaf community." NPIA Chief Executive Officer Nick Gargan said: "These awards are an excellent opportunity to pay tribute to the achievements of the thousands of community-minded volunteers across England and Wales who help the police in many important ways every day.

"Volunteers have always played a key role in policing and it is extremely encouraging that the numbers of specials and volunteers are increasing. They form a crucial link between forces and the local communities they serve. The NPIA remains determined to help forces develop their use of volunteers further, attracting and retaining high quality individuals so they can continue to give a first-class service to their colleagues and the public."

SOURCE

Newport foster mum up for sign language award

A NEWPORT foster mother who learned sign language when she started caring for a deaf child is being recognised for her dedication.

Lesley Bellew, 40, who has been fostering for six years, took on the challenge at the beginning of the year when she started caring for the four-year-old. She has now been shortlisted for a Learner of the Year award by Signature, the UK’s leading provider of accredited qualifications in sign language. Ms Bellew started to learn sign language at the CHIIC Sign Language Centre, Newport.

She passed her level one qualification in British Sign Language with flying colours and is now enrolled onto level two. She has also helped teach her family the basics of signing and is now working with the CHIIC centre and Newport council to establish a group where families affected by deafness can meet for learning sessions and to socialise.

Tonyfelin Cards

Tonyfelin Medical Centre.

Interpreter services:

If you are hard of hearing and require the services of an interpreter for your consultation, we can organise this through the Wales Council for the Deaf. Please request this service when booking your appointment. We have a hearing loop at reception so please indicate to a receptionist if you would like to use this to make it easier for you to communicate.

In addition, we can arrange for communication between you and the practice to be by SMS or email if that would be of help.

Medical Information Cards can be obtained from HERE, by contacting the Partners in Healthcare Team on 01792 776252. Visit the Deaf and Hard of Hearing section on the Welsh Ambulance Service website for more information, CONTACT

North Wales Police

Contacting the police has never been easier for the deaf, see how North Wales do it...

In writing:

North Wales Police Headquarters
Glan-y-Don
Abergele Road
Colwyn Bay
LL29 8AW

If you know the officer or department you wish to receive your letter please include this as the first line of the address.

If you are Deaf, deafened, hard of hearing or speech impaired and unable to contact North Wales Police by voice telephone you can contact them by, Minicom or fax.

Minicom: 01745 535612
Fax: 01492 510777

This can be used for urgent and non-urgent calls. If you wish to use this system, please download and attach the fax form. I though the 'applications' approach worked well for deaf, what do you think ? No VRS, but who knows, its early days yet.... Police access in your areas ?

Were you here ?

Did you got to this deaf school ? have any other photos or recollections ? It is a photo of the deaf school at Llandrindod Wells circa 1890s, it was opened 1950s, demolished in the 1980s ? The tower and buildings to the left are all that remains of what was the pump house hotel, the site is now council offices...

The Swansea Deaf & Dumb School

Deaf And Dumb School 1896

(Thanks to Nial O Brien).

"I was born and bred in the Mount Pleasant area of Swansea, in which the D&D Institute was based. My schooling was Terrace Road infants & juniors. Lots of football in the street, Cwmdonkin Park and playing in and around the quarry off the Promenade, that overlooked the Institute. The quarry was wild, with steep drops and the cause of many mishaps. A lad of my age was the son of the caretaker at the Institute and a group of us kids frequently used to wander the corridors of the school, which was a dark, auspicious and sprawling affair, very much reminiscent of the Victorian building I subsequently learned it to be.

Dropping out of the back of the Institute's grounds, it was possible to slide down a slope, peppered with trees and foliage, until appearing down the bottom at railings overlooking Heathfield. I don't know why, but railings in those days always seemed to have convenient gaps - great for escape in games of tag! More often or not we simply played games in the Institute yard, although on occasions we'd venture into the gymnasium building.

This was fitted-out with the usual apparatus and one infamous visit resulted in a broken leg for one of our mates, who swung on one of the ropes straight into a vaulting horse... We were 8 at the time and the predictable aftermath was a stern ticking off from respective parents. We continued to routinely use the school while the caretaker's son was living there, up to about 1972. I guess it must have been converted to flats early in the next decade (?). I moved away from Swansea in 1980, although I'm still a regular visitor to that area (my sister owns our original family house in Rhondda Street). The Promenade quarry looks a much smaller expanse now, although still resolutely wild.

The Institute is the Haunted House-type building at the top of the postcard/photo, overlooking the Swansea town centre. The arches on the right of the street are the front of the Albert Hall cinema, which converted to a Bingo Hall in the late 70s/early 80s. The photographer is standing in Craddock Street; to his/her right would be a little road leading to the entrance to Dynevor Senior Comprehensive School, where I stayed on for my A levels. Dynevor School is also now closed, although the building itself is still present in some partial, adapted form.

Niall O'Brien.

ERRATA

Sir William A Jenkins. an board member of the swansea deaf and dumb mission.