DEAF people in the Cotswolds are set to receive more support and funding thanks to one Cirencester firm signing up the Gloucestershire Deaf Association as its new charity partner.

Coventry Building Society (BS) in Cirencester has put a focus on improving communication with disadvantaged people by teaming up with the deaf charity.

Gloucestershire Deaf Association (GDA) supports more than 3,000 deaf and deaf-blind adults and children across the county each year, including more than 100 sign language users – one of the most marginalised groups in society.

The vast majority of hearing impaired people have adult-onset deafness, usually associated with ageing.

GDA has a growing presence in Cirencester, with a local hard of hearing club and lip reading class. The charity’s deaf children’s club is also in the town.

Tracy Ellis from Cirencester's Coventry BS said the team were looking for a new local charity partner and GDA seemed a good match.

"Our values as an organisation are about being caring, attentive, reliable, ethical and straightforward," she said. "Deaf people, whether they are pre-lingual deaf or become deaf later in life, often need help with communication.

"Keeping things simple, easy, transparent and safe for our customer is what we do best and it’s exactly what people with hearing impairment need from their local building society."

GDA’s chief executive Jenny Hopkins said: "We are extremely grateful to the Cirencester branch of the Coventry Building Society for supporting the important work our charity does in and around the town. By choosing us as their charity partner, they are pledging not just financial support but a commitment by their staff to learn the deaf awareness skills that will help their hearing impaired customers."

For more information about Cirencester deaf children’s club, Cirencester lip reading class or Cirencester hard of hearing club, call 01452 372999.