A CHARITY for deaf people in Gloucestershire has issued an open invitation to its inaugural ‘Hand’s Up’ Auction of Promises fundraiser.

Over the past few weeks the SNJ has teamed up with Gloucestershire Deaf Association (GDA) to promote the work it does to help deaf and deaf-blind people.

We hope to raise around £10,000 to continue GDA’s vital work, and the centrepiece of our fundraising campaign is the event at Stroud Auction Rooms this Friday.

Lots include holidays in Spain, France and the UK, meals out at a number of award-winning local restaurants, tickets to Roses Theatre, signed sports memorabilia, a six-month membership with Stroud Whisky Club.

Gemma Sills, GDA’s events and communications officer, said: “This will be a wonderful opportunity to not only support a great cause but also to see for yourself the buzz of a real-life auction room.

“Of course we very much look forward to welcoming you to Stroud Auctions, but if you aren’t able to attend the evening we would be delighted if you would still support the auction by bidding online beforehand.”

You can view the full catalogue of lots and place online bids at http://bit.ly/202YEn5.

The evening begins with at 6pm with a free buffet and wine, followed by the auction hosted by Nick Bowkett at 7.30pm.

Among those helped by GDA is Arabella Davis from Bourton-on-the-Water. The five-year-old uses Makaton, a visual language of signs and symbols, to talk to her brother Peter, two, and parents Gina and Robin.

Gina said: “We thought we needed to give her a way to communicate with the deaf community as well as with all her hearing friends and family and to eliminate toddler tantrums and she just took to it.”

Contact GDA on 01452 372999 or admin@glosdeaf.org.uk.