Cambridgeshire Deaf Association has launched a new livestream called The Valve, aimed at deaf men.
The show is being funded as part of the Evelyn Trust’s £10,000 grant to Cambridgeshire Deaf Association to produce health videos. It focuses on men’s interests and includes strong elements linked to men’s health, such as keeping fit, avoiding long-term diseases, identifying the signs and symptoms of male-related illnesses, and discussions about wellbeing and mental health. The programme will also cover plenty of other interesting topics, so it’s not just about health, but an entertaining watch too.
The first show featured deaf mountaineer Michael Woods, who became the first deaf European man to conquer Everest earlier this year. While he didn’t go into detail about the climb itself, ahead of an upcoming documentary, he spoke about his journey in a fascinating 90-minute discussion. Deaf members of the public were able to video call in and ask Michael questions directly, as well as ask questions via comments on Facebook. The video has already been watched 2,000 times on Facebook.
Andrew Palmer, Chief Executive of Cambridgeshire Deaf Association, said: “It was a great honour to have Michael Woods come onto the show to open it and talk about how he got fit and prepared himself to climb Everest, what his future plans are, and how he balances these commitments with family life and working life.
“I want to say thank you to the Evelyn Trust for their generous funding this year, which is enabling us to create 50 health-related videos. Ten of these are live podcasts related to men’s health issues, and the other 40 videos are discussions about women’s health, how to spot signs of illness, and tips for staying healthy, spaced out throughout the year. We’re really excited to be working with the Evelyn Trust again, who have supported us in the past. I also want to congratulate Matthew Wheeler on a great performance presenting the show.”
Cambridgeshire Deaf Association has around 20,000 followers on Facebook and receives millions of views a year on its video content. It operates two studio facilities, one in Cambridge and one in Huntingdon, and also runs Thrive Live, a women-focused livestream hosted by prominent actress Nadia Nadarajah, filmed in Cambridge and at various locations around the UK.
Watch the first episode of The Valve here:
