Deaf comedian brings laughter to Oak Lodge School (From Your Local Guardian)

Deaf comedian brings sound of laughter to Oak Lodge School

6:00am Sunday 11th April 2010 in Top Stories By Dan Noctor

Oak Lodge School is hosting a fundraising comedy night with a twist - the comedian is deaf, just like its 77 pupils.

John Smith will entertain children at the Nightingale Lane school later this month with his truly unique brand of humour.

The deaf comedian offers an amusing and fascinating insight into being deaf and the world of British Sign Language.

He tackles topics such as deaf issues, politics and school life.

All members of the public are encouraged to come along and organisers are promising to be a fun-filled evening.

The event is sponsored by Business Link 4 Deaf, a business directory made up of people trained in sign language or who are deaf.

One of their employees, Kevin John, also a teaching assistant at the school, has organised the event and described it as “an opportunity to give something amazing to the kids at Oak Lodge”.

He said: “Kids are reluctant to go to the library because it is seen as old and out of date.

"It needs to be more deaf-friendly so it can encourage them to read more independently.

“Reading is one of the fundamentals of learning and without it some of our kids do not stand a chance in the real world. It is hard enough being deaf, but being unable to read and deaf is even harder.”

Money raised on the night will go towards reconfiguring the library building and installing new IT facilities.

The school will also invest in new books with sign support and bringing in new, cutting-edge deaf technology designed to improve the children's literacy skills.

Oak Lodge School is a school for deaf students aged 11 to 19.

The school currently has 77 pupils from 25 different boroughs.

The Deaf Comedy Night will be hosted at the Oak Lodge School for the deaf on Wednesday, April 28, from 6.30pm – 10pm.

Tickets are £20 and £10 for a second ticket. Food and drink will be available throughout the night and is included in the ticket price.

Call 07960010242 to book your tickets now.