Local professionals Proud to Wear It Loud for Deaf Awareness
Offices across Exeter celebrated with a riot of colourful outfits in support of Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education’s first Wear It Loud Day. The Academy encouraged its supporters to ‘wear the brightest clothes you dare’ in return for a donation of £2 to the charity as part of Deaf Awareness Week which ran from 6 - 12 May.
The national awareness campaign organised by the UK Council on Deafness for 2013 is 'Get involved / Get aware!’. As well as dressing for the occasion, fundraising activities included holding a brightly decorated cake sale and challenging family and friends to learn to fingerspell.
Members of staff from the Exeter office of wealth management company Brewin Dolphin and Francis Clark the largest independent accountants in the south west, joined forces by donning their brightest clothes to wear to work on Friday 10 May. Both companies have nominated Exeter Deaf Academy as their charity of the year.
Tim Walker Head of Office Brewin Dolphin Exeter said: “All the staff were keen to be part of the Deaf awareness campaign by wearing their brightest clothes to the office to support our designated charity of the year. Naturally we are looking to raise funds for the charity throughout the year at organised networking and corporate client events; however it is as important to give help and raise awareness for this worthy cause in other ways.”
Francis Clark partner, Lewis Banfield, said: “Staff at our Exeter office are really looking forward to ‘making a noise’ with colour for Wear It Loud Day on Friday, whilst at the same time raising funds for the Deaf Academy. The staff involved in the Deaf Awareness session are very excited to welcome the students to our working environment and to have the opportunity to learn a little sign language to enable them to communicate with the students. I am sure the event will be very rewarding for both parties”.
Amanda Denham, Exeter Deaf Academy's Head of Fundraising, commented: “We are delighted to be launching our first ‘Wear It Loud Day’ during Deaf Awareness Week. The idea is to raise awareness of the impact of deafness, often a ‘hidden disability’, through a fun, highly visible event. As well as daring people to ‘Wear It Loud’ we are also challenging everyone to learn the BSL fingerspelling alphabet and some basic sign language. It has been fantastic to receive support from such a wide range of companies across the city as well as one in London. This is the first in a series of events supporting our fundraising campaign for the New Academy. Further details about the New Build plans can be found on our website.”
Other companies who took part in Wear It Loud were: Ashfords, Interserve, LDA Design, LSL Property Services and Stace.
Exeter's Toucan Design also took part and held a gingerbread figure decorating competition, which was judged by Exeter Deaf Academy Chief Executive Jonathan Farnhill.
A YouTube film about the event has been developed by Exeter’s Optix Solutions. And participants tweeted photographs of their outfits with the hashtag #wearitloud.
Deaf Awareness Week ran from 6th - 12th May and was organised by the UK Council on Deafness. The theme for 2013 was: 'Get involved / get aware!'.
Donations can be sent to Amanda Denham at Exeter Deaf Academy or participants can text LOUD10 £2 to 70070.
Further information about the event can be found at: www.exeterdeafacademy.ac.uk/wear-it-loud
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