Starbucks Trafford Centre, Peel Avenue

Most deaf children (90%) in the UK are born to hearing parents and a deaf child in the UK is 42% less likely to achieve 5 GCSE’s at A-C. Studies show that deaf adults are twice as likely to experience mental health problems and that deaf children are at a higher risk of bullying, abuse, poor self image and isolation. Most (>95%) deaf children in our local area of Trafford attend a mainstream school and so they can be the only child in their class or more often their whole school that wears hearing aids or cochlear implants which can lead to poor self esteem. Trafford Deaf Children's Society would like to be able to bring local deaf children and young adults together with full communication and language support. We run fun, safe and accessible events to give the children the opportunity to meet and develop friendships with others that face the same challenges as themselves and to reduce isolation. The events will give parents and carers the chance to gain practical and emotional support and to share advice. We are developing a programme of age appropriate events using multi-skilled staff who are able to deliver a variety of outdoor learning, adventurious experiences and reflective practice. Bespoke, practical and experiential programs including mountaineering, biking, climbing, watersports, campcraft, gymnastics, parkour and team sports can all be used to sucessfully engage young people.

Please help TDAS, an established local domestic abuse charity, to change the lives of children traumatised as a result of living through domestic abuse. You can make a difference! Our charity's overall aim is to relieve the physical and psychological distress of people who have experienced, or are exposed to, domestic abuse, in particular by the provision of temporary accommodation, support and advice services. Additionally we aim to educate the public in the causes and effects of domestic abuse. We provide safe, secure and supported Refuge and dispersed accommodation and a Children & Young People's service that recognises and provides for the emotional and educational needs of the children and young people living in our accommodation. All these children will be disadvantaged through suffering illness, distress, neglect or abuse as a result of experiencing or witnessing domestic abuse. They often have been forced to leave their homes, their friends and schools to live in a refuge to escape domestic abuse. Sometimes the children themselves will have been abused. Even when not directly abused themselves their development can be affected and all will be disadvantaged by suffering behavioural or psychological difficulties, as domestic abuse can have a long term negative impact on self esteem, social adjustment and mood. The children can be negatively affected in every aspect of their functioning - safety, health, school attendance and achievements, economic well being, social and emotional development. Without support these problems can develop into longer term behavioural problems such as depression, withdrawal, aggression or eating disorders. The children can experience disadvantage through stress related illnesses such as asthma, bronchitis, irritable bowel syndrome or migraines. They can also suffer from deprivation or poverty as a result of financial abuse experienced by their mother. We want to work jointly with an Art Therapist who is a qualified Psychotherapist to increase the children's communication skills, strengthen their relationships and give them confidence through learning new skills. The Art Therapy work will allow children to explore their feelings and experiences in a safe environment. They will gain self esteem, realise they are not to blame for the abuse and that they are not the only children it happens to. They will be empowered to lead tasks, make friends and benefit from time to 'play' as a family.