Centre for Deaf and Hard of Hearing gets £24,077 boost from Great Western Railway.

A project to connect deaf communities across the Southern region, has received a £24,077 grant from Great Western Railway.

Centre for Deaf and Hard of Hearing successfully applied for a grant from the train operator’s Customer and Community Improvement Fund, which was launched in January to support local communities and address areas of social need.

As part of GWR’s National Rail Contract with the Department for Transport, the train operator is committed to supporting schools, colleges, councils, community and other not-for-profit organisations by aiding a number of initiatives.

The Sign Train project has been launched to help deaf people across the South connect with one another through train travel. Aiming to reduce isolation and boost wellbeing, the initiative hopes to reach at least 100 deaf individuals. The project includes accessible trips to museums and visits to nearby deaf clubs, creating opportunities for social connection. But The Sign Train is about more than just getting from one place to another: it’s a journey toward building friendships, growing confidence in using public transport, and strengthening a sense of community.

Project spokesperson, Community Development Officer, Mark Gill:

“We’re extremely grateful for this funding from Great Western Railway, which will help to establish links between deaf centres across Taunton, Reading and Gloucester. We will be arranging accessible visits to the Railway Museums at Didcot and Swindon and will ensure all publicity includes a British Sign Language translation as well as subtitles.

We will ensure that participation is subsidised so that no-one is excluded due to costs. A vital part of the project will be a feedback session, which we will facilitate towards the end of the project to highlight any barriers faced whilst using the railway.”

GWR Senior Community Impact Manager, Emma Morris, said:

“The Customer and Community Improvement Fund is a fantastic opportunity for us to invest in our communities with projects that really make a difference at a local level.

“Making train travel as accessible as possible is something that we value at GWR, and the Sign Train project is a wonderful way of helping deaf people from several communities across the Great Western network to connect with one another.

“We’re thrilled to be able to provide them with new and exciting experiences that will forge new friendships and greater confidence when they travel.”