Action for Deafness

An innovative restaurant run by deaf people has opened in the north of England, tackling the huge problems of unemployment and exclusion seen amongst Britain's nine million-strong deaf community. Modelled on Jamie Oliver's pioneering Fifteen restaurant, which trains up and employs disadvantaged young people, the new Blackburn-based social enterprise is called The Courthouse, and will work with deaf people - who suffer double the national average of unemployment.

"The fact is, if you're deaf, it's very difficult to get work," says Doug Alker, the chairman of the East Lancashire Deaf Society (ELDS) who have set up the enterprise, and who is himself deaf. "We aim to change that, which is why we're doing what we're doing: to positively influence the public perception of deaf people, which would universally improve their lives, from schoolchildren trying to learn, to adults looking for employment. We also hope to develop the confidence and skills of deaf people, enabling them to work not just for us, but elsewhere or even setting up their own businesses."

The Courthouse, which is named in reference to the original use of the listed Georgian building it inhabits, is also bringing a much needed injection of glamour to Blackburn's gastronomic scene.

"There's not really any traditional Lancashire fare sold in this area," says Alker. "Obviously you've got McDonald's, you've got pizzas and kebabs, a lot of fast food, but there's nothing like this - traditional English food, Lancashire hotpots and stews, all made using local produce where possible."

It's a model that has already proved successful for the ELDS, who opened Blackburn's first vegetarian cafe, V Fresh, four years ago. Twenty-seven-year-old Saira Ahmed, who is one of the one in seven people in Britain who is deaf or hard of hearing, has been working there since the beginning. Having been unemployed since she left school, she became a trainee aged 23, and has now worked her way up to being a full-time assistant to the chef.

"It's great working there, it can be quite mental because we're so busy, but I really enjoy it," she says. "Before this I'd found it really hard work to find a job. I'd filled in so many application forms, kept going to the job centre, done so many interviews, but I'd never been successful. It had a real knock-on effect on my confidence. My friends were always getting new jobs, and I felt lazy and depressed, sitting at home all day with nothing to do. These days I'm so much happier and more confident."

Alker admits that opening a restaurant in this financial climate is a big risk, especially when many local Blackburn restaurants have been forced to close. It was only investment from the Charity Bank and Big Issue Invest - the investment arm of The Big Issue that provides loans to social enterprises - that enabled the dream to become a reality.

"We needed £1.5m of investment, but none of the banks would touch us, they said it was too speculative - so much for their community ethos!" he says. "At least Big Issue Invest is compensating for the lack of community responsibility that the banks are so lacking."

For Big Issue Invest's CEO Nigel Kershaw, who is also the chairman of The Big Issue, it was a clear-cut decision: "We're investing in ELDS as they are constantly seeking innovative ways of including deaf people through their social enterprise. They have the potential to influence far beyond Blackburn."

More social enterprises focusing on the deaf community:

Sign Video - This award winning service provides interpretation for deaf people via videophone. The UK's 70,000 deaf sign language-users often wait up to six weeks before an interpreter can interpret on their behalf - problematic for urgent conversations such as with hospitals or local authorities. Sign Video's mission is to use the latest developments in technology to tackle barriers to deaf people's social inclusion. www.signvideo.co.uk

Femaura - Femaura is a deaf-led social enterprise that fills a void by delivering professional deaf and sign language interpreters, tutorials, private tuition and deaf awareness courses. Femaura operates on the notion that the quality of deaf people's lives can be dramatically improved when full access to information in sign language is provided, and they strive to broaden the minds of society in this regard. www.femaura.com

Deaf Cultural Centre - A UK-first, this modern conference and event facility offers training and employment opportunities for the deaf community, whilst also meeting the needs of a modern business world at competitive prices. www.deafculturalcentre.com

Inclusion London - Inclusion London is a new social enterprise who take an advocacy role for deaf and disabled people in London. They work to ensure that deaf and disabled people understand each other's concerns, and work together to fight for a truly inclusive city. www.inclusionlondon.co.uk