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Support for families of deaf and hard of hearing children and deaf parents. We offer social events and Family BSL classes in Bedfordshire. Family BSL Our Family BSL and DEAFinitely Awesome Kids social events offer support, tips and connection to parents of deaf children. Most deaf children are born into hearing families, with parents who may never have met a deaf person or considered how to communicate and connect with someone who cannot hear them. We welcome deaf parents to our family groups, which are supported by BSL communicators, supporting new parents to meet other families at a similar stage and share tips, experiences and ask questions. Our sessions help parents to build their network and find their space as parents in the deaf community, to support this integral part of their child's identity and to thrive as a family. We offer regular social activities and will be bringing our FREE Family BSL classes back to Bedford in 2025. For more information, email: info@accessbedford.org.uk or check our Whats On page for upcoming events.

Coffee Morning for Deaf BSL users. Located in Bedford Town Centre with lots of free parking, we welcome British Sign Language users from across the UK to join us for this free social event. Deaf Coffee Morning Where: The Place Theatre, Bradgate Rd, Bedford, MK40 3DE When: We meet every other Friday between 11am - 2pm Cost: Free to attend. Tea, coffee, cold drinks and snacks available to buy at the bar, please feel free to bring your own lunch. For dates, see our What's On Page LOTS of free parking. Please be aware - we do not guarantee there will be BSL interpreters or communicators at this activity as it is not a teaching or practice session. Our Deaf Coffee Morning is a safe and welcoming place for BSL and SSE users to meet, chat and feel included. Our Deaf Coffee Morning provides a social lifeline for Deaf BSL and SSE users, particularly those aged 50-90, combating isolation and fostering community connections. Our welcoming and friendly group helps to strengthen community ties, increase visibility, and attract new service users as the group continues to grow. People travel from across Bedfordshire - and beyond - to attend our Coffee Mornings. These gatherings are funded by dontations and the sponsorship rasied by our team at Bedford Running Festival, as well as a winter suppliment from the Welcoming Spaces grant at Bedford Borough Council. The coffee morings are held in private spaces, providing a safe place for service users to communicate in their first/preferred language without fear of prejudice or discrimination. You can support our work and enable us to continue running our Deaf Coffee Morning, here: Donate

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Contact Us Questions? Suggestions? Complaints? Billing? Compliments? Collaboration? Sponsorship? Here's how to get in touch: General enquiries info@accessbedford.org.uk Use this email for events, activities, training, complaints, suggestions, compliments, collaborations, sponsorship. Information, Advice & Guidance service deafspace@accessbedford.org.uk Use this email address to contact our information service or to request an appointment You can also send an SMS or BSL video to our Whatsapp: 07376 262 873 Please do not phone this number, is it text and video call only. Interpreting and Translation info@accessbedford.org.uk For help booking a BSL interpreter or to discuss how to add BSL translations into your videos, please contact Grace. Billing and Finance Finance@accessbedford.org.uk Please send all invoices to the finance team so that we can find them and process them on time for you. Visit Us Thanks to funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, we now have gorgeous office space! Find us: Upstairs @ The Place Bradgate Road Bedford MK40 3DE Core Office Hours: Tuesday - Wednesday - Thursday 10:00am - 4:00pm Please note, we may be working off site or at meetings at any time. To arrange a visit to the office, please email: info@accessbedford.org.uk

Our Services We are committed to empowering the deaf community through our services, ensuring the 135,000 deaf people across Bedfordshire can access the support and resources needed to thrive. DEAF SPACE Free BSL-accessible information, advice & guidance. More Info DEAF COFFEE MORNING Free drop in social morning for BSL users. More Info DEAF FITNESS Weekly, BSL-accessible, inclusive fitness classes. More Info BSL & DEAF AWARENESS Taster classes, foundation courses and bespoke training. More Info EVENTS & COMMUNITY Working with partners to raise awareness and promote inclusion . More Info BSL CAFE Welcoming and supportive, free BSL practice and social sessions. More Info INTERPRETING &TRANSLATION Providing qualified interpreters and high quality translations. More Info