GLOUCESTERSHIRE Deaf Association (GDA) has received £3,684 to fund pilot sessions of a deaf friendly forest school to support deaf children and young people in the county.

The donation was provided by the Santander Foundation, which offers Discovery Grants to UK registered charities for projects that help disadvantaged people in local communities.

GDA is an award-winning local charity, supporting children and adults with all levels of hearing loss. The charity provides practical and emotional support that enables those living with a hearing impairment to live confidently.

The grant will give up to 20 young people aged 7 to 19 years old the opportunity to experience the outdoors through a range of activities including mud painting, whittling, making objects out of natural materials, cooking on fires, den building, dam building and bug hunting.

The forest school pilot aims to help deaf children’s educational development, to foster resilient, confident, independent and creative learners.

Jenny Hopkins, CEO at GDA, said: “Deaf children are by their nature timid and withdrawn. They rely heavily on visual cues. Being in a group, where they could be surprised from behind, and outdoors, when there is so much to take in at once, is far more daunting than it is for a hearing person.

"But under supportive leadership, the outdoors, with all its glorious smells and natural textures to be explored through touch, has much to offer those who are single or dual sensory impaired.

"We are extremely grateful to the Santander Foundation for supporting our deaf friendly Forest School.”

Christopher Hall, Branch Director at Santander’s Gloucester branch said: “The Santander Foundation makes hundreds of donations every year to good causes throughout the UK.

"Our branch is committed to playing a key part in the community and we are delighted to be supporting GDA, and hope the donation makes a real difference to local people.”