The Lord Mayor of Birmingham has helped a group of Deaf students learn more about Citizenship with a tour of the Council House.
Students Nichola Fox, Monique Adams, Pauline Stoney, Clive Gerrard,
Mazar Sufi, Nasreen Akhar and Ian Jones – members of local charity BID Services with Deaf People’s Life Skills Group - were invited on the
tour to see where local political activity takes place and how the
processes behind it work.
The tour began with a greeting from Lord Mayor, Councillor Randal Brew, OBE in the main reception room before moving on to take a look at his Parlour. During the greeting the Lord Mayor commented on how happy he was to meet the group and his previous visits to the new Deaf Cultural Centre in Ladywood Road. “We have been to the Deaf Cultural Centre twice, once for the official opening with the Princess Royal and then for a longer look around, you made us feel very welcome.” He said.
After the greeting the group were given an insight into the history of the Council House, previous Lord Mayors and the important role the venue has played in Birmingham’s governance and political history.
James Mclean, Life Skills Trainer, (the groups’ teacher and elected representative) greeted the Lord Mayor on behalf of BID and was impressed with how the group took everything in. “Politics is a confusing area but the group understood everything and had a good grasp of how local politics works. They were shown some very important areas like the Council Chamber and learned how elected representatives can vote. It was great for the group to get a first hand look at the environment where everything takes place. They were able to visualise what happens there which is important for Deaf students. It brought it to life and helped build their understanding even more. They asked lots of questions and I am very proud of them.”
To ensure that the tour and the information provided remained accessible for the Deaf students a BSL / English interpreter was present at all times to relay the information to the group. The tour will contribute to the Life Skills Groups’ Route to Work Project by forming part of their Life Skills Training.
The tour, which lasted from 11:30 - 13:00, finished in the Lord Mayor’s dining room with a brief history of the chains of office of the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress. The students found the tour so interesting they even gave the Mayor a wave of hands (Deaf Applause) for leading the tour so well.
“It has been a pleasure to have you here. We have met some wonderful people and would like to thank you for coming to see us today.” Commented Lord Mayor Randal Brew on behalf of himself and the Lady Mayoress.
Ends
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Media Enquiries Contact:
Anthony Beeby, Campaigns Manager on 0121 450 7749
Email: anthony.beeby@bid.org.uk
Notes to Editors:
BID works to support the Deaf community in the West Midlands. It has travelled a long way from its modest beginnings in the latter part of the 19th Century, when its prime function was "to provide relief to Deaf people and attend to their spiritual needs".
BID has developed a reputation for providing innovative, high quality services to meet the many and varied needs of Deaf people. Today BID provides Care Management, Deaf Awareness, Support & Advice, Interpreting Services, Youth Work, and Equipment Sales amongst a growing portfolio of services.
Successful partnership and funding arrangements have been developed with colleges, housing associations, trusts, businesses and other organisations, which has helped BID to become more effective in pursuing its aims and objectives.
But still BID depends to a large extent upon private and voluntary donations to continue its work. Whether it's providing toys and videos for young Deaf children, or supporting Deaf people through interpreting or advocacy, we still need help – contact the Fundraising Department on 0121 246 6100 for information on how you can help.