Deaf Pub is place to make friends and give support

Monthly meeting for people who are hard of hearing

A group bringing together dozens of deaf people from around Kent and beyond celebrates nine years of meetings in Maidstone later this month.

On the third Saturday of every month, the group meets at the Society Rooms pub in Week Street, next to Maidstone East station, to meet new friends over some food and a pint.

The meetings were established in 2009 by Zoe Morgan.

She is a hard-of-hearing volunteer and campaigner who became fluent in British Sign Language (BSL) to help communicate with deaf family members and help deal with her own deafness. While there was a Deaf Club at a local church during the week, she discovered there were no social gatherings in the evenings and so decided to take matters into her own hands.

The Maidstone Deaf Pub scheme sees a designated area cordoned off solely for the group to use.

A Facebook group has more than 1,000 members, with people travelling from the capital and even further afield to come.

Mrs Morgan, 48, said: “Usually communities are set up around deaf schools.

“However when BSL users go home some have no one they can communicate with fluently so it is great there are Deaf Pubs in many areas now. Deafness is a hidden disability so it is good to all be able to stand together and form a community where we can support each other. Many people presume if you are deaf that you need to shout at people or speak very slowly, so it is good to be able to educate people on correct awareness.”

Hairdresser Alexandra Lucy Gargini, 37, of Clifford Way, was born deaf and also helps organise the meetings.

She said: “It can be very difficult but I will never give up. I understand what they have been through so this pub is great for deaf and hard-of-hearing people to meet and get to know to each other.

“No one needs to come in scared – no one should feel like that.”

The group’s meetings take place at 7.30pm. For more information search Maidstone Deaf Pub on Facebook.