We are most probably one of the oldest charities in Wakefield. Unfortunately, much of our history has been lost over the years due to trustees moving on and the refurbishment of the building we occupy. We believe the information below is correct.
Wakefield & District Society for Deaf People, as it is now known, occupies a property in what was a high-class area in Wakefield. The building was built in 1792 and is an old Georgian house; it became a listed building in July 1953. Originally, the meetings were held in a YMCA room, and research shows the society entered into a mortgage agreement for 7 South Parade in 1921.
The British Deaf Times reports that in 1904, the work of the society had grown and that ‘a Miss Gertrude Clarke, conversant with the finger language, did visits to deaf people in their homes and acted as a medium between the deaf and hearing world’. 80 deaf people were being supported by the society at that time.
In the past, sport played a big part at the Society, having a football club from the 1920s along with teams of ladies and men playing dominoes, darts and snooker. The society is the proud owner of a full-size snooker table that was brought in 1931.
Parties have always been an important social time to meet old and new friends; in the early days, they always had tea and entertainment. The Mayor and Mayoress of Wakefield and various Councillors supported the society by attending parties. At the 1935 annual party, 200 members and friends were present. Children’s events also took place; most of the children up to the end of the 1970s attended special schools, some as boarders, so parties at the society were an opportunity for them to meet up with their Wakefield friends.
Over the years the society has grown to offer more services. There has been in the past a Castleford and Pontefract Branch and a Barnsley branch before they set up their own society in 1945.
Missionaries lived at the premises until the late 60’s, and along with the Welfare officers who then supported deaf people and took care of the building. The Charity’s objects were then to promote the general welfare of Deaf, Deaf-Blind, Deafened, Hard of Hearing people and cooperate with other organisations having similar objects and aims. The information below comes from copies of The British Deaf Times/News:” Starting a society to support deaf people was talked about as early as 1876. The Wakefield Deaf & Dumb Society, after years of discussion, was finally established on 2nd June 1901 when mission work amongst the deaf had had a revival in Wakefield. This was led by the Vicar of Wakefield – Venerable Archdeacon William Donne ‘in the earnest desire that the deaf of Wakefield may enjoy the same spiritual advantages as their fellows in most of the cities and towns of Yorkshire’. He was supported by Charles W Fennell as a surveyor who was a prominent worker at Wakefield Cathedral. Miss Langhorne, a lady associated with Wakefield philanthropy, undertook to raise funds on behalf of the mission. Led by hearing people, the society began to support the spiritual welfare of deaf people. They held regular Sunday evening services ‘in the finger and sign language of the deaf’ at Brook Street Cathedral Boys School.
Trips out were and still are organised with everyone dressing in their finery. The sale of works helped to raise money for the society. Socials provided an opportunity for people to meet up with other deaf people from other societies. In the 1940’s the society helped with the war effort, and instead of concentrating on raising money for themselves, members helped with street collections on behalf of YMCA canteens and a useful donation was made by them to the Mayor’s fund for troops’ comforts. The society provided 100 articles, including 14 pullovers have been knitted for the comfort of those on active service.
The society continued to have strong links with the church. In the 1940’s Wakefield Committee for the Spiritual Welfare of the Deaf and Dumb existed. We had a pulpit as a memorial to Mr CW Fennell, chair and secretary to the society for 34 years. He, with his mother and sisters, were the founder of the society. Unfortunately, the pulpit was sold in the 1990s.
In 1999, the society appointed its first deaf chairperson. In July 2000, the constitution was adopted to drop the word dumb and bring the constitution up to date with today’s political jargon.
Wakefield and District Society for Deaf People is now managed by a mixture of Deaf and Hearing Trustees.