Celebrate St George’s Day with a RNID skydive!

RNID is calling on thrill-seeking people in Liverpool to be inspired by the bravery of England’s patron saint and sign up for a sponsored skydive on St George’s Day.  Taking place on Sunday 23 April 2006 at an airfield in Cockerham, Lancashire, the skydives from approximately 10,000 feet are in aid of RNID, the largest charity representing the 9 million deaf and hard of hearing people in the UK.

The skydiving is free to prospective fundraisers who raise a minimum of £375 for RNID. To avoid disappointment, register as soon as possible, as places are limited and will be awarded on a first come, first served basis. Further RNID jumps will be taking place throughout the year.

RNID Senior Events Executive, Polly Hughes, comments:- “We’re urging people in Liverpool to celebrate St George’s Day in an extra special way this year. Experience an adrenaline-rush and take part in a skydive for RNID to help change the world for deaf and hard of hearing people.”

Money raised by the skydivers will help pay for projects and services that improve the everyday lives of deaf and hard of hearing people.

For more information about RNID’s skydiving events, or to register your interest in taking part, contact Senior Events Executive, Polly Hughes, on telephone / textphone:- 0845 634 0687 (local rate) or email:- events@rnid.org.uk.

If you would like to get your hearing checked out, RNID has just launched a special telephone hearing check on 0845 600 55 55.

May It Be A Bridal Day!

BRIDAL Show at Formby Hall Golf & Country Club, Southport Old Road, Formby on Sunday 7 May 2006 11:30am to 5:00pm Over 25 North West Exhibitors, FREE admission. Two Bridal Shows during the afternoon.

Formby Hall Golf Club will be supporting the JOSPICE (St.Josephs Hospice), who will be present with their raffle prizes on the day.

GUIDE TO CALLING DEAF FRIENDS AND RELATIVES LAUNCHED

RNID Typetalk, the specialist telephone service for people with communication difficulties, has launched a free guide to help people in the North West learn how to make and receive calls to someone affected by deafness. The guide has been launched after a recent survey revealed that 9 out of 10 hearing people would have no idea how to handle a call from a deaf person.

Offering step-by-step instructions on all aspects of making and receiving calls, the guide is available to anyone in the North West who would like to know more about calling a person who is hearing or speech impaired.

The soap Coronation Street recently featured a scene, where Emily Bishop received a phone call from her deaf niece, Frieda, which has helped highlight that the RNID Typetalk service is just as easy to use as a conventional telephone.

Lorna Hammerstein, Head of Customer Services at RNID Typetalk, said:- “It is easier than you might think to make a call to a deaf person. We are aware that there are a lot of people who would like to make calls to friends or relatives affected by deafness but they are often put off because they are unsure about how the service works.  We want to emphasise that a Typetalk call is just as straight-forward as an ordinary phone call. The guides are simple to follow and will hopefully encourage more people to give it a try.”

Operators at RNID Typetalk use a combination of text and speech to enable people with communication difficulties to converse with others by phone. A person with hearing difficulties uses a textphone to make and receive calls, but a hearing person doesn’t need any specialist equipment.  There are currently 10.8 million people living in the UK who are deaf or speech impaired and the RNID Typetalk service means that they are not cut off from talking to people on the phone.

For your copy of RNID Typetalk’s free guide on how to make and receive calls using the service, either visit typetalk.org or call:- 0800 7311 888 (voice) or 18001 0800 500 888 (text).