A warm welcome to the Children and Young People’s Service at Manchester Deaf Centre. We work with children and young people from 0 up to 24 years old. We welcome Deaf, Hard of hearing and Deafblind children and young people to join in with our varied groups. We also welcome the children of deaf adults (CODA) and those who have deaf siblings.
Manchester Deaf Centre is a safe place where children and young people can come together to have fun, meet new friends and try new things.
Some of our regular groups and activities include:
Sign and Play (0–5 yrs)
Kids Club (6–11 yrs)
Youth Club (12–16 yrs)
Deaf Leaders (17–24 yrs) The name will be changed when the sessions start based on a group vote.
Residential trips away
Day trips
Sessions at Manchester Deaf Centre
Scroll down for more information on our current groups
Get in touch
Get in touch with our Children and Young People’s Service leaders with any questions or needs you have, to find out what is running, or to book your child or young person into one of our groups by using the following contact details:
Wednesdays, weekly at 10am until 12pm, at Manchester Deaf Centre
This play group is designed for families with babies or young children aged 0-5 who are deaf, but hearing siblings, Deaf parents and CODAs are all welcome. It is a good opportunity for family members to meet other people who have similar experiences to themselves. The activities during the sessions will include messy play, story time, painting or colouring and opportunities to learn sign language.
Kids Club for 6-11's
Kids Club is a fortnightly group aimed at children aged 6 to 11 years old. Hearing siblings and CODAs are welcome too. Kids Club will provide various activities based on social and life skills. These will include trips outside MDC, for example to theme parks, national parks, local visitor attractions and museums around Manchester; as well as activities in MDC such as arts and crafts, movie nights, baking and more. This is a good opportunity for children to meet other children within a similar age group, to socialise and make new friends.
Fortnightly on every other Thursday 6pm until 8pm at Manchester Deaf Centre
(Alternating with the Youth Club).
Youth Club for 12-16's
Youth Club is a group for 12–16-year-olds. It is an opportunity for young people to meet each other to socialise, make friends and to take part in activities where they can learn life skills associated with day-to-day living. We will set up a variety of workshops that include presentations from guest speakers and Deaf role models who will present their own experiences and participate in discussions with the young people. There are also fun activities outside MDC including trips to museums, the HideOut Youth Zone, cinemas, theatres and more. Hearing siblings and CODAs are all welcome.
Fortnightly on alternate Thursdays 6pm-8pm, at Manchester Deaf Centre.
(Alternating with Kids Club).
Deaf Leaders for 17-24's
Deaf Leaders is designed for 17 to 24-year-olds and provides young adults with opportunities for support and transition into employment and education. The team can also provide a signposting service for access to mainstream activities. Workshops will also be set up for topics such as life skills, mental health, digital training and more. This service also provides an opportunity for young adults to hone their leadership skills by participating in activities such as residential trips.
Monthly sessions on the last Wednesday of every month, 4-7pm at Manchester Deaf Centre
Feedback from previous participants in Children and Young People's activities at MDC:
The Under 16s group have experienced similar increases in confidence and self esteem. Some of the young people were reluctant to join in with activities early on in the project but now mix comfortably with the whole group, moving between the various games and activities in each session, and interacting with the other young people. Friendships have been established outside project activities via social media, and young people look forward to seeing each other at the Youth Group. The father of one boy said “he can’t wait to get here, see his friends, have fun. He loves it”. They took part in a series of challenges designed to develop those skills and to build confidence and self belief. Feedback included “The best experience of my life”, “Amazing”, “Can we come here again?”
Get in touch with our Children and Young People’s Service leader with any questions or needs you have, to find out what is running, or to book your child or young person into one of our groups using the following contact details:
Manchester Deaf Centre also provide a range of other services that may be suitable for particular members of families with children and young people. Please use the main menu of the website to find out more about groups & support.
