Donation loudens voice

GENEROSITY: The Central District Ladies of Harley giving to Voice Thru Your Hands. PHOTO: RENEE CLAYTON

An organisation dedicated to giving a voice to those with hearing and speech difficulties has received a generous donation.

Voice Thru Your Hands received a cheque for $2500 from The Central Districts Ladies of Harley organisation. The money will be used to help them publicise their new vision and direction.

VTYH president Julie Jordan-Ely said they wanted everyone to value all forms of communication.

"Our new role as an organisation will be to be a representative voice for those with communication diversities to the wider community. This money will help us to further develop and promote our values and spread our concepts."

VTYH is a charitable trust governed by people with a "lived" experience of needing to find alternative communication tools.

"We are very proud of our achievements so far and want to make sure everyone has the chance to communicate effectively," Mrs Jordan-Ely said.

Central Districts Ladies of Harley co-ordinator Paula Simpson, who has been learning how to sign, said the club decided to give the money to VTYH as they believed their cause was very important.

"Our organisation gets together and fundraises for other organisations all around New Zealand. We rode all over the country together and got a lot of great photos to make a calendar.

"The calendars that we do come out every five years, where all the money we raise goes to different non-profit organisations."