Thousands of schools, businesses, community groups and organisations take part, getting an exciting introduction to British Sign Language through music. They all learn a specially written song with signs and use their performance as a platform for fundraising activities. The song for sign2sing 2017 is called Together and carries strong messages about cooperation, acceptance and kindness.

Schools taking part in the West Midlands are: A2e: Sensory Support, Alderbrook School, Cherry Oak School, Longwill School for Deaf Children, Oasis Academy Woodview, Redhill Primary School, Robin Hood Academy, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School (Birmingham); Aldermans Green Community Primary School, Lyng Hall School, Pearl Hyde Community Primary School, St Thomas More Catholic Primary School (Coventry); Reddal Hall Primary School (Cradley Heath); Coppice Junior School and Solihull School (Solihull); Bentley West Primary School and Elmore Green Primary School (Walsall); Lyng Primary School (West Bromwich); Green Park School, Penn Hall Special School, Perry Hall Primary School and Rakegate Primary School (Wolverhampton).

Money raised will be used by SignHealth to improve the health and wellbeing of deaf people in the UK and Uganda. Deaf children, on average, leave school with a lower reading age and miss out on key messages about healthy relationships given in the media and by word-of-mouth. SignHealth run workshops in schools for deaf children, delivered by deaf people in British Sign Language, which help children understand what abuse is and how to get help.

SignHealth also works in Uganda, where deaf children are often isolated due to a lack of knowledge of sign language and cultural taboos surrounding deafness. The charity supports schools where children and their families learn to sign and works to tackle the stigma of deafness through education and awareness raising.

“Learning a few words and greetings in sign language is easy to do and great fun” says Susie Norbury, SignHealth’s Director of Fundraising “The more that children learn to sign, the more included and less isolated deaf children will be. The money this event raises is vital so that we can continue to give deaf children the chance of lives as healthy and happy as those of their hearing peers.”

Sign2sing is supported by the Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts, a weekend performing arts academy providing tuition for children and young people from 4-18 years.