Deaf Thrive London (360G-ThriveLDN-342)

14. What is your project? (400 words) Deaf Thrive London is a pilot project that will reach out to culturally Deaf Londoners who use British Sign Language (BSL), who are further marginalised by being LGBTQ+. We know that Deaf people are four times more likely to have mental health challenges, exacerbated by loneliness and isolation due to communication barriers. They have poor access to information – many Deaf people are not fluent in English, their second language – and support: counselling in BSL is in short supply, and community support inaccessible due to language barriers. In addition, LGBTQ+ Deaf people often feel excluded by “mainstream” Deaf social groups, where some have old-fashioned attitudes. We will start by holding two consultation events with Deaf LGBTQ+ Londoners, to gather information about the everyday challenges they face, their wellbeing, and their preferences for activities and workshop topics. We will also use these events to recruit 4 volunteers as Wellbeing Champions, and go on to provide them with Mental Health First Aid Training. The volunteers will support workshops and activities, and will be supported to enable groups to become self-sustaining. For the rest of the two-year grant period, we will hold 20 events, the contents and locations of which will be shaped by our consultation: • 10 Workshops will focus on sharing information to enable participants to become empowered, understand their rights and the underpinning legislation, self-manage their physical and mental health, and take action to improve their personal circumstances • 10 Activity events will provide a variety of accessible activities focussed on London’s cultural opportunities (arts, museums) as well as physical enjoyment (green spaces, swimming, sports) An important element of all events will be the opportunity to socialise, make new friends, and share experiences in a non-judgemental environment – reducing loneliness and isolation. By involving trained volunteers, we increase the potential for groups to continue to meet and enjoy activities together after the project ends. We will measure the impact on participants’ wellbeing using feedback questionnaires, based on the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Wellbeing Scale, using “I” statements such as “I’ve been dealing with problems well”. For workshops, we will also measure whether attendees have gained knowledge on the topic. RAD takes a holistic approach to all our work and participants who require it, will be signposted to other RAD services that can support their wellbeing. These include advice (benefits, debt, housing), employability, and advocacy.