March a Million 2022 is just around the corner. Come and join us this year and help us to create a Sensory Garden in our grounds.
Register by email or on Facebook and a support pack will be emailed out to you.
Contact us on:
07721 422 261
christine.roche@leedssocietyfordeafandblind.org.uk
The Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust, working in partnership with The Leeds Society for Deaf and Blind People are providing BSL video befriending calls for all BSL users staying in hospital.
Due to Covid-19, hospital visiting restrictions are in place. By working together, we can ensure patients stay connected.
Last week the ‘Trust Your Voice’ staff choir at the Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, recorded a special virtual performance of Coldplay’s ‘Fix You’. This was to mark the NHS’ 72nd Birthday yesterday, Sunday 5 July 2020.
You will see our very own Melissa Barker-Simpson, Registered Qualified British Sign Language interpreter, is featured in the video. We are sure you will agree the video is very moving and we were honoured to be a part of such a special video.
Thank you to all NHS staff and a very Happy Birthday to the NHS!
HAPPY 72nd BIRTHDAY TO OUR NHS – Thank you to the Leeds & York Partnership Foundation Trust Choir
COVID-19 UPDATE: – 16th July 2020
NEW Walk-in Testing Centre
A new COVID-19 walk-to testing facility has opened for people living or working within walking distance of the Bridge Street Community Centre, Rider Street, in the LS9 7BQ postcode area of Leeds. The walk-to testing centre is a pilot being led by the Department for Health and Social Care.
The centre is open to everyone in the area who is COVID-19 symptomatic, lives or works within walking distance of the site and does not have access to a car. Tests are only available by pre-booking and people have to walk to the site. No car parking is available. Please read the information leaflet to find out more
This easy read summary leaflet explains how you can book an appointment at the walk-to community testing centre.
To book a test people should call the Leeds City Council helpline number on 0113 376 0472. Line open 9am-5pm, seven days a week except on Wednesday when it’s 10am-5pm. This helpline is only for this walk-to facility. For any other testing sites / home testing kits please use existing processes.
For anyone wanting to use a testing facility that you can drive to or to order a home testing kit please use the NHS online booking system or call 119.
Apply for a coronavirus test on GOV.UK if you:
Find out more about NHS Test and Trace.
Thank you SignHealth
Donate to SignHealth Here
COVID-19 UPDATE: – 23rd March 2020
We have been closely reviewing the latest NHS and government guidance documents and unfortunately have decided that the centre will close temporarily from Monday 23rd March 2020. This has been a very difficult decision, however we want to protect our staff and all our friends and service users. The best way to do this, is to support the government by ensuring everyone who can do, remains at home. We will still be delivering our services during this time.
We have been working hard over the past few weeks, to adapt our services to ensure we can continue supporting our community. The full staff team will now be working from home. Zoe, William and Alison will be home based providing their usual support and the interpreter team will be using other methods to support our service users to access interpreting services.
To confirm, the following groups / classes will remain closed at this time;
55+ Club
Deaf Social Club
Leeds Deaf Youth Club
Parent and Toddler Group
Friendship Cafe
Crochet Course
BSL Classes
If you do have medical appointments booked over the coming week, please do check before going as many have been cancelled. We will of course let people know as and when we are made aware of cancellations.
Latest NHS guidance can be found here; https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
If you need any help or assistance, please phone or text us on; 07775 444 032
Many thanks for your support and we send our best wishes to everyone at this difficult time.
The Centre will close for large groups of people from Monday 16th March 2020. We want people to be safe, and want to prevent the spread of Coronavirus. These groups are cancelled till further notice;
55+ Club
Deaf Social Club
Leeds Deaf Youth Club
Parent and Toddler Group
Friendship Cafe
Crochet Course
BSL Classes and Room Hire bookings will still go ahead.
Hand washing with Soap and Water
Information for the public on the outbreak of coronavirus in China, including the current situation in the UK and information about the virus and its symptoms.
Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty announces 12 new cases of COVID-19
As of 01 March at 9am, a total of 11,750 people have been tested in the UK, of which 11,715 were confirmed negative and 35 positive.
The Department of Health and Social Care will be publishing updated data on this page every day at 2pm until further notice. This data is accurate as of 9am to ensure accurate data is published in a timely manner.
If more cases are confirmed in the UK, it will be announced by the Chief Medical Officer of the affected country.
Based on the World Health Organization’s declaration that this is a public health emergency of international concern, the UK Chief Medical Officers have raised the risk to the UK from low to moderate.
Stay indoors and avoid contact with other people immediately if you’ve travelled to the UK from:
Use the 111 online coronavirus service to find out what to do next.
Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital.
In Scotland call your GP or NHS 24 on 111 out of hours. In Northern Ireland call 0300 200 7885.
Lockdown areas in northern Italy:
Special care zones in South Korea:
This guidance is based on the recommendations of the UK Chief Medical officers. These areas have been identified because of the volume of air travel from affected areas, understanding of other travel routes and number of reported cases. This list will be kept under review.
For areas with direct flights to the UK we are carrying out enhanced monitoring. Passengers will be told how to report any symptoms they develop during the flight, at the time of arrival, or after leaving the airport.
Read more about what you should do if you’re asked to self-isolate.
A coronavirus is a type of virus. As a group, coronaviruses are common across the world. Typical symptoms of coronavirus include fever and a cough that may progress to a severe pneumonia causing shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.
Generally, coronavirus can cause more severe symptoms in people with weakened immune systems, older people, and those with long-term conditions like diabetes, cancer and chronic lung disease.
Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new strain of coronavirus first identified in Wuhan City, China.
The NHS website has more information about how coronavirus is spread and answers common questions about the virus.
On 10 February, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock, announced strengthened legal powers to protect public health.
The Health Protection (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020 have been put in place to reduce the risk of further human-to-human transmission in this country by keeping individuals in isolation where public health professionals believe there is a reasonable risk an individual may have the virus.
We have introduced advanced monitoring at airports with direct flights from China.
A team of public health experts has been established in Heathrow to support anyone travelling in from China who feels unwell. These hubs will bring in rotational teams of 7 clinicians, working in shifts, who will be on hand to support patients on arrival. This is in addition to medical staff who are already permanently in place at all UK airports and the advice issued to all UK airports for people travelling to and from China.
The government has issued clinical guidance for the detection and diagnosis of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and infection prevention and control.
The Chief Medical Officer, Medical Director at PHE and Medical Director at NHSE/I have issued advice via a CAS (Central Alerting System) alert to frontline staff to increase awareness of the situation and any actions to take.
Most people who develop symptoms will get them after leaving the airport and so the priority is providing UK residents and travellers with the latest information to make sure they know what to do if they experience symptoms, and the NHS and PHE have an established plan to respond to someone who becomes unwell.
China has also introduced port-of-exit screening so people already exhibiting symptoms are not allowed to leave the country.
Based on current evidence, novel coronavirus (COVID-19) presents with flu-like symptoms including a fever, a cough, or difficulty breathing. The current evidence is that most cases appear to be mild. Those who have died in Wuhan appear to have had pre-existing health conditions.
The UK is now one of the first countries outside China to have a prototype specific laboratory test for this new disease. Healthcare professionals who are contacted by a patient with symptoms following travel to Wuhan have been advised to submit samples to PHE for testing. Individuals should be treated in isolation
After the experience of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003, PHE developed a series of diagnostic tests to detect any member of the family of coronaviruses. These have been used for several years, and were able to detect the first UK case of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in 2012.
With the first reported publication of the genome sequence of a 2019 novel coronavirus, PHE was able to rapidly develop further specific tests for this virus, working with WHO and global network of laboratories.
When a clinician suspects novel coronavirus (COVID-19), they take samples from the nose, throat and deeper respiratory samples, package and send them safely to PHE Colindale. PHE can provide a laboratory result from this specific virus on the same working day.
PHE also has the capability to sequence the viral genome and compare this to published sequences from China, if a case occurs. This will provide valuable information on any mutations in the virus over time and allow an improved understanding of how it spreads.
Calling all Secretaries or Presidents of all Clubs, Groups, Societies, Associations, Institutes, etc. in the UK. Please, can you lend your support to SIGN our Petition to help SAVE the BBC Red Button Teletext Service from permanent closure in spring 2020. This is a vital service for many disabled and elderly people in the UK and is critically important in preventing further social isolation and loneliness in the community and should be kept on permanently.
To sign it contact Sarah Gayton by PM or by email: sarahgayton@yahoo.co.uk or by PM us or email to admin@nfbuk.org, NFBUK only need a YES from you and the NAME of your Club or Group etc. Sarah is coordinating this campaign for the NFBUK.
Many people think the red button teletext service was saved from switch off however this was only temporary and we still need to save in permanently.
The NFBUK will be meeting the BBC shortly to explain how important this service is and will re-submit this Petition. Thereafter the BBC will decide whether the BBC Red Button Teletext service will continue or be permanently closed down. To date the petition has 252 organisations supporting it from across the UK which include over 50 Age UK organisations.
Many people of all ages have contacted the NFBUK in desperation because they, or people they know, rely on this service for information. This included people who are visually impaired, deaf, hard of hearing, disabled, elderly and housebound etc. And also people who do not have Internet connection by means of computer, tablet or smart phone. Closure of this service will affect many people because it is a very easy to use format in a static text form.
Full details of the petition can be obtained by contacting Sarah or the NFBUK.
Individuals can also sign the petition by emailing the NFBUK.
Your contact details, if supplied, will not be passed on to a 3rd party by the NFBUK.
Your help to SHARE this post will be greatly appreciated!
The NFBUK website can be found at https://www.nfbuk.org.
We would like to talk about our audio described productions, how user friendly our website is & how you might find out about our performances
WHEN: Wednesday 15 April 2020
4pm – 5pm. Followed by an optional free talk with Pippa Moore (former Premier Dancer)
No prior experience of Northern Ballet or ballet is required
Refreshments will be provided
WHERE: Northern Ballet, Quarry Hill, Leeds LS2 7PA
For more information and to confirm to your attendance please contact Nicola Phillips Tel: 0113 220 8000 nicola.phillips@northernballet.com
NORTHERN BALLET’s GEISHA AT LEEDS GRAND THEATRE
Audio Described Performance
Saturday 21 March, 2.30pm
Touch Tour Insight Workshop, 12noon on same day
To book call Leeds Grand Theatre Access line: 0113 205 3899
Where?
The Centre, St Mary’s Street, Leeds, LS9 7DP
Saturday 7th December
from 2pm till 4pm.
at The Centre
St Marys Street
Leeds
LS9 7DP
Free glass of mulled wine
and a mince pie.
All welcome.
our wonderful Evin will be your Host
Land’s End to John O’Groats (LEJOG)
Two Deaf men have captured the imagination of the Deaf community by setting out on a walk from John O’Groats to Lands End to raise money to support treatment for Deaf people with mental health problems.
Mark Hodgson and Daniel Dorney are walking to raise £10,000 for Deaf4Deaf and SignHealth to support their work to give Deaf people services like counselling in BSL. They are accompanied by support driver Christopher Potts.
To support them, give money on the Crowdfunding page here!
At the time of writing, they have already raised £6,480, which suggests the final sum they raise may be more than their target sum.
Mark and Daniel have set up a Just Giving page, and you can donate here.
