Deaf Academy over half way to road crossing fundraising target

Final target in sight Exmouth's Deaf Academy

A fundraising campaign launched by the Deaf Academy to ensure its students can safely cross the road is now more than halfway towards its target thanks to its supporters.

Students and staff at the Deaf Academy in Exmouth launched an appeal this summer to contribute to the cost of a crossing to improve road safety along the busy Douglas Avenue.

In May, East Devon’s Highways and Traffic Committee approved plans to install a £100,000 puffin crossing on the busy stretch by the Academy gates. The Deaf Academy committed to raising £30,000 towards this cost because a puffin crossing has extra sensors and features which will help its students cross safely and is an upgrade from a standard crossing.

Sylvan Dewing, Principal of the Deaf Academy, said: “Thank you to everyone who has generously donated towards a vital safe road crossing for our Deaf students and the local community. We now need one final push to help us reach our target. The crossing will ensure our students can confidently and safely engage in activities and be a valuable part of the town.  
 
“This is a busy road in an area with a significant number of disabled residents, supported living facilities, and care homes. Installing a road crossing will enable them, as well as our students, to safely reach the seafront and local amenities."

Students and staff have been campaigning to get this safe crossing installed, between the Academy’s entrance and exit gates on Douglas Avenue, since it relocated from Exeter in 2020.

And students have joined in the campaign this summer, creating their own puffin artworks.

Deaf Academy student Abi, 14, said: “Thank you to everyone who has helped our fundraising so far. This crossing is really important and will help us all to cross the road in safety.”

The Deaf Academy has 75 students, who are aged nine to 25 and are Deaf with additional needs. They are encouraged by the Academy to develop life skills that will support future independence. Supporting them to access both the Academy and other town services via a safe crossing would help contribute towards this.

The Academy has satellite sites within close walking distance of the main campus, these include its nearby children’s home and recently opened adult learning and residential centre, Fearnside House, which caters for Deaf students aged between 19 and 25.

Students engage in many community projects, work placements and trips. They also deliver local newspapers, as part of their enterprise projects, and provide free deaf awareness and British Sign Language training to local community groups, in line with the Academy’s charitable objectives.

The Academy is a registered charity and much of its work relies on fundraising. It has created a JustGiving page where people can make donations to this project. Thanks to a recent legacy from a generous supporter, the Academy’s Trustees are in a position to match every pound donated to this fundraising page, so the value of any donation will be doubled.

For more information, visit the Deaf Academy’s JustGiving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/puffincrossing