Projects

Talking Hands Youth Club

Completed: 2012
Location: Swansea
Region: Wales

About the project

Talking Hands is a youth club based in Swansea who help young people who are deaf or hard of hearing, run by the Council for Wales of Voluntary Youth Services (CWVYS) – the independent representative body for the voluntary youth work sector in Wales.

In 2012, in one of VIY’s very first projects after setting up in 2011, 14 young people who were supported by the centre and as many adult volunteers took part in a VIY project to decorate and repair the building Talking Hands were based in, which is still going strong today.

Over 14 weeks, young people, who were all deaf or with hearing impairments, volunteered 3 days per week, supported by our VIY trade volunteers. They picked up skills in plumbing, painting and woodwork, and gained an Entry Level 3 City & Guilds accreditation each during the project, all whilst renovating an important space that they used and benefitted from regularly. Our mentors and volunteers were extremely well looked after with Talking Hands providing food and refreshments to keep the teams going!

Reflecting on the project 12 years later, Helen Robins-Talbot, Building Development and Project Manager for Talking Hands said:
“It made a huge difference to us at a time when money was very difficult for the centre to access after we purchased it in 2007. We had a lot of fun and the young people learned a lot of valuable skills, learning to work together, communicate, and listen. It was a great experience and one I would recommend any organisation to become involved in.”
We’re now looking to return to the Talking Hands centre to help transform their rundown garden into something special this year in 2024.
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