Projects

Talking Hands Youth Club

Completed: 2012
Location: Swansea
Region: Wales
Other local partners: Boys & Girls Clubs of Wales, Council for Wales of Voluntary Youth Services (CWVYS)

About the project

Talking Hands is a youth club based in Swansea who help young people who are deaf or hard of hearing, run by the Council for Wales of Voluntary Youth Services (CWVYS) – the independent representative body for the voluntary youth work sector in Wales.

In 2012, in one of VIY’s very first projects after setting up in 2011, 14 young people who were supported by the centre and as many adult volunteers took part in a VIY project to decorate and repair the building Talking Hands were based in, which is still going strong today.

Over 14 weeks, young people, who were all deaf or with hearing impairments, volunteered 3 days per week, supported by our VIY trade volunteers. They picked up skills in plumbing, painting and woodwork, and gained an Entry Level 3 City & Guilds accreditation each during the project, all whilst renovating an important space that they used and benefitted from regularly. Our mentors and volunteers were extremely well looked after with Talking Hands providing food and refreshments to keep the teams going!

Reflecting on the project 12 years later, Helen Robins-Talbot, Building Development and Project Manager for Talking Hands said:
“It made a huge difference to us at a time when money was very difficult for the centre to access after we purchased it in 2007. We had a lot of fun and the young people learned a lot of valuable skills, learning to work together, communicate, and listen. It was a great experience and one I would recommend any organisation to become involved in.”
We’re now looking to return to the Talking Hands centre to help transform their rundown garden into something special this year in 2024.
This project was one of 11 VIY projects in South Wales at the time in partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of Wales, helping to support and sustain local youth clubs.
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Mae Talking Hands yn glwb ieuenctid wedi’i leoli yn Abertawe sy’n helpu pobl ifanc sy’n fyddar neu’n drwm eu clyw, sy’n cael ei redeg gan Gyngor Gwasanaethau Ieuenctid Gwirfoddol Cymru (CWVYS) – y corff cynrychioli annibynnol ar gyfer y sector gwaith ieuenctid gwirfoddol yng Nghymru.

Yn 2012, yn un o brosiectau cyntaf un VIY ar ôl ei sefydlu yn 2011, cymerodd 14 o bobl ifanc a gefnogwyd gan y ganolfan, a chymaint â hynny o oedolion gwirfoddol, ran mewn prosiect VIY i addurno ac atgyweirio’r adeilad y mae Talking Hands wedi’i leoli ynddo, sy’n dal i fynd yn ei flaen heddiw. Roedd y prosiect yn un o’n rhai cyntaf a gefnogwyd gan y Loteri Fawr, sydd bellach yn Bartner Cenedlaethol VIY, gyda deunyddiau a roddwyd gan Wickes, ein partner brand cenedlaethol am x mlynedd.

Dros 14 wythnos, bu pobl ifanc, a oedd i gyd yn fyddar neu ag amhariad ar eu clyw, yn gwirfoddoli 3 diwrnod yr wythnos, gyda chefnogaeth ein gwirfoddolwyr masnach VIY. Dysgon nhw sgiliau mewn plymio, peintio a gwaith coed, gan ennill achrediad City & Guilds Lefel Mynediad 3 yr un yn ystod y prosiect, i gyd wrth adnewyddu gofod pwysig roedden nhw’n ei ddefnyddio ac yn elwa ohono’n rheolaidd. Roedd ein mentoriaid a’n gwirfoddolwyr yn cael gofal arbennig o dda gyda Talking Hands yn darparu bwyd a lluniaeth i gadw’r timau i fynd!

Wrth fyfyrio ar y prosiect 12 mlynedd yn ddiweddarach, dywedodd Helen Robins-Talbot, Rheolwr Datblygu Adeiladau a Phrosiect Talking Hands:

“Fe wnaeth wahaniaeth enfawr i ni ar adeg pan oedd arian yn anodd iawn i’r ganolfan gael mynediad ato ar ôl i ni ei brynu yn 2007. Cawsom lawer o hwyl a dysgodd y bobl ifanc lawer o sgiliau gwerthfawr, gan ddysgu sut i weithio gyda’i gilydd, cyfathrebu, a gwrando. Roedd yn brofiad gwych ac yn un y byddwn yn argymell unrhyw sefydliad i gymryd rhan ynddo.”

Rydyn ni nawr yn edrych i ddychwelyd i ganolfan Talking Hands i helpu i drawsnewid eu gardd ddirywiedig yn rhywbeth arbennig eleni yn 2024.