IT'S home may have been based at the same Wilson Patten Street building since the 1930s but the team at Warrington and District Deaf Society are only looking forward to the future.

The charity which offers deaf people the chance to get out in the community is looking to expand its offering to the deaf community in Warrington.

But for now it is working hard to offer deaf people and their families across the town a place to come and get help and meet others, Just what it was set out to do when it was first launched.

Penny Spiers, from the charity said: "They are like a family and the group do their bit to help stop social isolation. It's the people who make it lovely social environment and they come from all over the region including Manchester, Bolton and St Helens and they get on so well they go on holiday together.

"We have had lots of other deaf clubs come visiting here.

"We have good links with Warrington Borough Council too."

The charity relies on support from tenants of its base to help fund its services and money raised by its acclaimed signing choir - Warrington BSL Signing Choir - who have performed with the likes of Peter Gabriel and Rod Stewart recently.

"We don’t get any funding from the Government or the council so are reliant on tenants’ rental income and fund raising from the Sign Choir and also donations," added Penny.

And the money goes towards a wide range of social activities organised for the group including a deaf cafe on the last Saturday of the month from noon for hearing and deaf people.

The centre also hosts a deaf club for pensioners on Wednesdays from noon to 4.30pm, a social club on Wednesdays and Fridays from 7.30pm to 11pm and take part in a snooker league.

And they also organise trips to places like York and the Lake District organised by the centre and helped by volunteers who can offer signing services.

British Deaf History Museum is at their base along with The British Deaf History Society and Warrington Borough Council’s Equipment Aids Room.

And the council has officers like Teresa Dawson and Dave Taylor on hand on Wednesday afternoons providing outreach support for Deaf people through a drop in service.

Next week we tell the story of the people who benefit from the work Warrington and District Deaf Society does.