City Lit secures place in Signature Hall of Fame!

During the prestigious Signature Hall of Fame event at the National Football Museum in Manchester on Friday night, adult education provider City Lit’s Centre for Deaf Education was recognised and inducted into the iconic Hall of Fame.

Signature, which awards British Sign Language (BSL) qualifications, received more than 250 nominations for people, charities or companies to enter the Hall of Fame, which recognises the deaf community and those who have helped with the progression of deaf communication. A shortlist of 50 was selected and, on Friday night, 10 of the 50 nominees shortlisted were awarded an official place in Signature’s Hall of Fame.

Mark Hopkinson, Head of Department at our Centre for Deaf Education, attended the event and said: “It’s an absolute honour and a huge achievement to have received a place in Signature’s Hall of Fame. City Lit’s provided support for deaf people right from our establishment in 1919. Some of the first courses we ever offered were lipreading classes for deafened soldiers returning from World War I. Over the years, we have grown to become an internationally renowned centre.

“Our staff is a mixed group of deaf and hearing professionals; all highly skilled in their own areas of specialist expertise, and they absolutely deserve this recognition. We’re over the moon and will strive to continue delivering the very best British Sign Language courses and supporting our students in every possible way.”

City Lit offers a varied range of courses in the centre – from British Sign Language, Lipreading and Managing Hearing Loss, English, Maths and Computing for Deaf People, to Teacher Training itself. So as well as courses for those wanting to enhance their communication, it has options for those wanting to teach themselves, like former student, Helen Hollings.

The shortlist on Signature’s website said: “City Lit have made their name as a British Sign Language teaching centre for many years, but have also made major contributions to deaf people with their annual Deaf Day, as well as other deaf activities and events that they organise and host.”