Organised by the Aldeburgh Library Foundation, 20 people completed the Introduction to British Sign Language course at Aldeburgh Library and learnt skills in fingerspelling, greetings, basic phrases, essential questions and conversational phrases and numbers. The course also taught people about the equipment that can help those who are deaf or hard of hearing and how to lip read.
Completed over three two-hour sessions at the end of 2025, the course was open to residents, visitors, volunteers and employees in Aldeburgh and the surrounding villages. This formal qualification now enables participants to pursue further training or apply their skills in everyday life and within their voluntary and professional careers.
The course which in total cost £1,500 received funding support from ward councillors for Aldeburgh Tom Daly, Katie Graham and Sarah Whitelock, who contributed £600 from their Enabling Communities Budgets (ECBs).
Councillor Sarah Whitelock, East Suffolk Council’s cabinet member for Communities, Culture, Leisure and Tourism said: “Learning sign language is a valuable life skill, so it’s brilliant to see so many enthusiastic people completing the course that will help them to support the most vulnerable members of our community.
“With the nearest training opportunities being in the Ipswich area and cost often a barrier in preventing people undertaking this course, we wanted to provide support to anyone looking to gain the confidence to communicate with anyone who is deaf or hard of hearing.
“Following the success of this project we hope we can expand this further in the district, to give others the opportunity to learn this vital communication tool.”
Feedback from participants who completed the course included:
- “I feel so empowered now to support my family and friends who are losing their hearing.”
- “Everyone should do this. Your communication skills are not complete without BSL!”
- [The teacher’s] personal testimony & entertaining stories, as well as [their] excellent teaching style & resources made learning fun and achievable.”
- [This is an] excellent example of partnership working and great opportunities to network and gain skills”.