Lions sponsor two boys on Deaf Lincs holiday camp

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MEMBERS of the Sleaford and District Lions Club have funded two local deaf children to go on a fun camp to spend time with other youngsters with the similar disabilities.
The Lions have offered to pay for the cost of the week-long camp, run by Deaf Lincs, plus travel expenses for the two 11-year-old boys, Jay Dilloway of Sleaford and Ben Leonard from Ruskington.

Deaf Lincs have been running the camps for children with hearing disabilities at a site in Mablethorpe for 29 years.

The majority of the children come from Derby but this year the organisation wanted to help more local families too and has allowed nine children from Lincolnshire to join the camp this week.

Deaf Lincs family support worker Jorja Le Gallienne said: "Of the 41 children going, most come from Derby Deaf School and some of the Lincolnshire children go there too."

As well as providing a week of activities, including a visit to Butlins, the camp encourages greater communication between the children and with adults using sign language. It also gives them the opportunity to meet other deaf children which they often do not have the chance to do when in mainstream schools.

The Sleaford Lions got involved through member Tony Owens, who felt it was important that the club should support such a scheme for children with a disability which is sometimes forgotten as it is invisible.

Mr Owens said: "It came about by accident. I am beginning to lose my hearing and discovered that there are youngsters up and down the country that are quite profoundly deaf and perhaps don't enjoy quite the same freedom.

"We thought it would be a good idea to sponsor a couple of them for a holiday at Mablethorpe."