DeafCOG, (Deaf Cultural Outreach Group), is:

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• An umbrella organisation [1] that hosts activities and projects of value to the Deaf community. The aim is to promote the Deaf identity positively; to create opportunities; to strengthen the community; and to provide community-led services in British Sign Language (BSL) and Deaf culture. 

• Co-ordination of this multi-faceted network, with all the various stakeholders and hubs of activity, will all be carried out remotely. This enables us to fully utilise technologies and further innovate, keeping our organisation at the forefront of our sector and using the assets of our community, which is a national and international community, who do not reside in one place.

• Community Connect was our first component in a larger, more complex mechanism that can be a powerful tool for our diverse community, allowing many different and varied activities to take place under the shared goal of creating a better more equal world for Deaf people, one step at a time.

• Non-political, non-sectarian and non-discriminatory and welcomes Deaf people who see themselves as having a social and language identity and Deaf people who see themselves as having a medical condition.

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As a social enterprise covering the areas of both Brighton and Hove and East/West Sussex, with potential for future geographic expansion, money raised is reinvested to further the aims of DeafCOG and the Deaf community. 

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In partnership with service providers - DeafCOG’s long term aim is to become a registered CQC (Care Quality Commission) care provider such as personal care.

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DeafCOG is a Disabled People's User Led Organisation (DPULO) and has a core belief that ‘deaf people can’ provide services and lead projects themselves, as well as in partnership with other organisations and social enterprises.

 

[1] Click on Definition of Umbrella Organisation for more information.

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Arts and Culture

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• Awareness / Access

• Development

• Celebrations / Events and Activities

• Creating spaces for artists and artistic development

• Working with Deaf people to develop their ideas for projects or groups and have the support of DeafCOG’s resources, like:

  • Deaf History Website - A website that provide access to the richness of the Deaf Community

  • Local history in accessible language

• Fundraising

 

Community Outreach

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• Awareness / Access

• Development

• Community Connect, Lottery Funded Project - Combating Loneliness in Older Deaf People Project to build stronger networks to overcome loneliness

• Community Celebrations / Events and Activities

• Community Support Service,  to provide one-to-one support to Deaf, deafened, hard of hearing and deaf-blind people

• Our Space - A space for social learning and community engagement

• Café Social where the deaf community can meet up and socialise over drinks and refreshments

• Community Assist where we offer FREE, confidential support for those who need help with letter writing, contacting public services and IT support, etc.

• Signposting to Deaf friendly services

• Working with Deaf people to develop their ideas for projects or groups and have the support of DeafCOG’s resources

• Fundraising

 

Communication and Engagement

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• Awareness / Access

• Development

• Celebrations / Events and Activities

• PR / Marketing and Networking Training / Consultation and Quality Management

• Mapping Deaf Spaces - A space for social learning and community engagement.

• Working with Deaf people to develop their business ideas through networks, and access to DeafCOG’s resources

• Fundraising