The Carr Fenton Foundation: Sign Language Week 2026
Engaging Emergency Services through British Sign Language
Read more
Sidekick PR supported The Carr Fenton Foundation to deliver a high‑impact engagement campaign for Sign Language Week 2026, focused on building meaningful relationships between the Deaf community and local emergency services.
As part of the Foundation’s wider British Sign Language (BSL) strategy, the campaign aimed to increase visibility, allyship and long‑term collaboration across Doncaster.
The national theme for Sign Language Week 2026 was ‘United in Sign’ – a celebration of unity, pride and collective action around sign languages. For the Deaf community, this represented empowerment and visibility; for the wider public, it was a clear invitation to learn, include and support.
The Sign Language Week website captured this perfectly:
“Every sign learned is an act of allyship. Join us as an ally, learn, share and support us.”
The brief
Sidekick PR was tasked with developing a simple, effective and partnership‑led PR plan to complement activity taking place throughout Sign Language Week at The Carr Fenton Foundation.
Insight from previous engagement work – including research with pupils at Doncaster School for Deaf Children – showed a clear desire to see emergency services using BSL. Pupils told us they wanted to feel understood and supported by the people they may need to rely on in urgent situations.
This insight shaped the campaign. The idea needed to:
- Be authentic and accessible
- Create visible allyship
- Initiate long‑term relationships between the Foundation and 999 services
- Reflect Sidekick PR’s core values of collaboration and partnership working
Delivery
Sidekick PR delivered a two‑pronged engagement approach for Sign Language Week 2026.
1. Engaging Emergency Services
We worked with The Carr Fenton Foundation’s BSL team to provide a bespoke sign language session for emergency service professionals.
Sidekick PR:
- Liaised with colleagues across ambulance, fire and police services
- Coordinated attendance during Sign Language Week
- Ensured the session was welcoming, practical and relationship‑focused
Representatives from each service attended the session, learning key BSL signs and gaining insight into Deaf culture and communication needs.
2. City‑wide allyship campaign
Alongside this, we invited organisations across Doncaster to take part in a shared moment of visible allyship.
Sidekick PR:
Asked organisations to learn and film a specific set of BSL signs
Provided a template message to make participation easy
Coordinated content to be shared at the start of Sign Language Week
A central video was created featuring a member of the BSL team signing ‘Welcome to Doncaster’, which was shared across city networks to encourage participation and consistency.
The results
The response from partners across Doncaster was overwhelming. To launch Sign Language Week, organisations from across sport, culture, retail and the public sector shared their ‘Welcome to Doncaster’ BSL videos, demonstrating visible support for the Deaf community.
Participants included: Doncaster Dons Rugby Club; Visit Doncaster; City of Doncaster Council and the Elected Mayor; Lakeside Village Outlet Shopping; Frenchgate Shopping Centre; Doncaster Culture and Leisure Trust; Doncaster Rovers; Right Up Our Street; Holiday Inn Express; Doncaster Racecourse and many more – a true city‑wide effort.
This activity created a powerful sense of unity and demonstrated Doncaster’s commitment to inclusion during Sign Language Week.
“This was a heart‑warming example of a community coming together, and we are incredibly grateful for the support shown to The Carr Fenton Foundation.”
Emergency Services Engagement
During Sign Language Week 2026, representatives from the ambulance, fire and police services visited The Carr Fenton Foundation to take part in the bespoke BSL session.
They worked directly with pupils from Doncaster School for Deaf Children and students from Yorkshire Rose College.
Together, they practised newly learned signs and shared experiences in a supportive, collaborative environment.
The sessions were met with enthusiasm, with emergency service teams expressing a clear desire to continue learning and engaging. This marked the beginning of an ongoing relationship, with further engagement planned in the months ahead.
- Strengthened relationshipsbetween The Carr Fenton Foundation and local emergency services
- Increased visibilityof BSL and Deaf culture across Doncaster
- City wide participationaligned with a national awareness week
- Authentic allyshipdemonstrated by public, private and third sector organisations
- A strong foundationfor future emergency services engagement
