A Sign Language company is starting to hold classes in Swindon to better their sign skills.

Oxfordshire-based Sign Together UK will be launching their new BSL Level 1 and 2 Courses at the Wyvern Theatre.

Lockdown resulted in the organisation being created as a response to the difficulties faced by the hard-of-hearing and deaf community.

The family-run company has been a huge success, hosting sold-out courses in Oxford and now expanding to Swindon.

Richard Walklett, Sign Together UK’s founder, has had hearing loss since birth which has gradually declined with age.

He grew up in Swindon town centre and enjoyed attending the Wyvern as a child.

“Lockdown was very difficult to me with facemasks and screens making hearing and lip reading impossible,” he said.

“I realised how much my hearing loss affected me in day-to-day life and decided to learn Sign Language, initially as a hobby.”

Swindon Advertiser: Richard grew up in Swindon and wants to share his sign skills with the rest of the town.Richard grew up in Swindon and wants to share his sign skills with the rest of the town. (Image: Sign Together UK)

Sign has become Richard’s passion, training himself and his wife Stephanie, who also teaches for the business, to a high level of the conversational sign.

“I wish I’d found it sooner; it’s made such a difference to my life. I wear hearing aids but, as hearing aid users will know, it’s still often hard to focus and understand speech,” he said.

“The ability to sign using British sign language is a sigh of relief and it’s a huge privilege and joy to teach sign to others who either struggle with hearing loss themselves, have people in their life who sign or want to learn for fun or for the workplace.”

Sign Together UK teaches in-person classes for the public and also works in schools, businesses, and one-to-one training online.

“We help children as young as three start to sign at nursery, as well as secondary school students and adults, truly anyone can learn BSL and it’s a lot of fun,” said Richard.

“It’s amazing to see how much sign is being embraced these days, thanks to a raised public awareness due to events such as Rose Ayling-Ellis winning Strictly and mainstream soap operas including deaf characters.”

Classes and accredited BSL Sign Language Qualifications are available at the Wyvern at 7pm and 8pm on Wednesdays in March, with more to come in May.

To find out more you can visit Sign Together UK’s website here.