The gift of communication can open up a whole new world and enrich our lives and experiences Have you ever travelled abroad to another country and been so frustrated on not being able to make yourself understood? Imagine how frustrating it must be to live in your own country and not be able to communicate, that’s what thousands of people in the UK experience every day. In the United Kingdom the total number of people of all ages in the UK with deafness ranging from mild to profound is 9 million (1 in 7 of the population). British Sign Language (BSL) was recognised by the government as an official language in 2003 alongside Welsh and Gaelic.

North Shropshire College is offering both Level 1 and 2 qualifications in BSL and is opening up the opportunity for fee waivers to those who are on a low income or in receipt of Universal Credit.

Rosemarie Sellers, Programme Leader for Community Education commented, ‘On recent enrolment evenings we held in College it was heart-warming to hear the reasons why learners were enrolling. Many were wishing to help family members who are profoundly deaf or who are becoming deaf. I myself intend to gain this skill so that I can communicate with my tutor who is deaf.’

Classes begin on Monday evening 24th September 6.00pm – 9.00pm for Beginners and Tuesday evening 6.00pm – 9pm for Intermediate Level. It is not too late to enrol. Please contact 01691 688000 to secure your place or for more information visit the website at www.nsc.ac.uk