Deaf News: Rachel Shenton makes Radio 4 appeal to help raise funds for SignHealth

Rachel Shenton, British television actress, is to present a BBC Radio 4 fundraising appeal for SignHealth (a supporter of this site) which will be aired this afternoon at 3.27pm.

SignHealth aims to improve the health and wellbeing of deaf people in the UK. For 30 years the charity has been providing a variety of services in British Sign Language allowing deaf people to live happier, healthier lives.

These services include domestic abuse support for deaf women, families and children; supported housing; and therapy for people with lived experience of mental distress.

The appeal can be listened to directly on the BBC website here along with more information, and a a signed version of the transcript can be seen on the SignHealth website here.

During the broadcast Rachel will make an appeal for funds to support SignHealth’s ‘BSL Healthy Minds’ project which provides therapy and counselling to deaf people with mental health issues.

Rachel will tell the listeners about a woman the charity supported called Anna, who was physically abused by her mother as a child, and then later sexually abused by her partner as an adult. These assaults affected Anna’s mental health tortuously and deeply and she knew she needed help. SignHealth was able to transform Anna’s life by providing therapy in her own language – British Sign Language.

Rachel will make a heartfelt plea for support by telling us about her own father and how his world turned silent after chemotherapy treatment.

Listeners are asked to give whatever they can so the charity can help transform the lives of more deaf people like Anna by restoring their mental health in their own language.

Listeners can give on-line via the Radio 4 website; by calling 0800 404 8144; or by writing a cheque to ‘SignHealth’ and sending it to ‘FREEPOST BBC Radio 4 APPEAL’ – marking the back of the envelope ‘SignHealth’.