Help needed please!!!

[Garry Slack]

Hi everyone
I very much hope that someone out there might be able to help me with some ideas
In addition to writing children’s sign language books, I also run entertaining, educational, fun and interactive sign language sessions for children and their families and carers.
The workshops aim to teach the children fun rhymes and songs using sign language. Each workshop also features an appearance by Olli the signing monkey!

(It’s a fantastic costume that I had custom made by the people who make the costumes for The Tweenies!)
Check out the pic of the costume on my website

Follow the link: http://www.signwitholli.com/Workshops.aspx

I am a fully qualified communication support worker for deaf people and I work as a trainer for the Early Years and birth to five services for Lincolnshire & Bedfordshire County Councils, providing sign language and non verbal communication training for their early years and childminding practitioners.

I am also a member of the training subgroup for Lincolnshire county councils Early years & childcare services.
In addition to my role as a trainer and author, I am an experienced presenter and I have done presentations and sign language workshops all over the UK for clients including Borders Bookstores, The Lincoln Book Festival, The National Childminders Association, Liverpool Children's Festival, The Nottingham Arts Festival and The Lincoln Children's Festival, Lincolnshire and Gateshead Library services among others.

I have also recently been working as the Sign Language consultant for the new children's television series 'Make Shake & Jake" that is currently being broadcast on SKY

During the recent National Bookstart Day I was asked to do a series of signing and singing sessions by the Bookstart co-ordinator on behalf of Nottinghamshire Library Service and in the past I have worked closely with various Library services throughout the UK including Lincolnshire Library Service, delivering story signing and music sessions in various libraries in Lincolnshire and Gateshead.

Recent clients for the Sign with Olli show include the National Childminders Association, Café Direct in London, The Special Needs Show in Manchester, W.H. Smiths, The National Deaf Children's Society and Twycross Zoo.

I would like to offer my services to provide a fun, interactive sign language session at any events or storytime sessions for any libraries or children’s events that may happening across the UK.

The sessions would be aimed at total beginners and will introduce participants to the easy way to learn sign language whilst simulating the children’s interest in words and literacy.

The sessions are delivered in a relaxed atmosphere using signed songs and nursery rhymes, with signs sourced directly from British Sign Language.

The signs learnt on this workshop can be used with all children, whether hearing or deaf and will help to highlight the importance of sign language and non verbal communication in improving the communication skills of all children.

We are fully CRB checked and hold a Public Liability Insurance certificate for £5million.

We bring our own sound system and props (and of course the Olli costume!!!)

I wonder if anyone out there has any ideas or contacts for people organising events?

I really would appreciate any suggestions or ideas

Very best wishes to you all

Garry

[Chitra Soundar]

Garry

Have you been in touch with http://www.voicefordeafkids.com/ ?

And I also found a couple of council run programs who might be good starting points.

The Service for Sensory Impairment is staffed by specialist teachers for children in education with hearing and visual impairment.

Hearing impairment

This service supports hearing impaired children who live or go to school in Sutton. Referral is through the Audiology departments of local hospitals, Community Health Services, through school's Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators or direct from parents.
http://www.sutton.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1621