Remark! Community AGM 2025

The Remark! Community team, Trustees, club members and volunteers gathered to take a look at Remark! Communities’ financial year at the Annual General Meeting.

Starting with Kevin Whalley, Remark! Community Treasurer, discussing the both the restricted and unrestricted funding received this year. Making sure to clarify, when asked, that unrestricted funds are not to spent on holidays. Whalley was happy to report that 2025 had been successful year for Remark! Community, and thanked our generous funders and donators who through their generous donations have made it possible. Annie O’Shea, Deaf-Self Treasurer, spoke on what a positive year Deaf-Self had experienced and detailed excitement Deaf-Self in the coming year.

Hebert Klein, Remark! Community Chair, spoke on the changes this year has seen to the Remark! Community team and the Finance team; wishing all the best to those who have moved into the interpreting team and welcoming new members.

Next, it was time to see what all the clubs have been getting up to this last year, and what a year it has been!

Starting with Steven Wynne, Head of Community, introducing the Lunch Clubs, which started the year with 4 venues but sadly in September had to say a fond farewell to Beckenham Lunch Club as it opened its doors for the last time with a big send off. Beckenham Lunch Club will be missed dearly by all who attended! The Community team mentioned the range of workshops the Lunch Clubs had enjoyed, on topics such as PIP and AIS; along with the trips to Houses of Parliament, the theatre to see Wicked and the RAF Museum. A look at some stats from those attending indicated that 84% would recommend the Lunch Clubs to their peers and a further 84% feel they have made friends since attending.

“Parent and Children Group members reported a 4.74/5 satisfaction rating, with 100% wanting to recommend the group to other families within the Deaf Community.”

Next was a look at Remarkable! Club, and the host of fantastic with trips to the Science Museum, London Zoo and Winter Wonderland; presentations delivered by BDA and NAE and more. And impossible to forget the residential trip to Centre Parcs.

Rahat Ahmed, Community Coordinator, spoke of some of the incredible trips North London Playscheme enjoyed, particularly London Dungeons, Arsenal Stadium and Freightliners Farm, where See Hear joined them to film for their episode on Children In Need. Habib Oseni, another Community Coordinator, spoke on Deaf Self’s trip to Flip Out, the workshop on aerial skills and the train station experience, and many more!

Unfortunately, Remark Community! had to say goodbye to Youth Club this year, as they wanted to expand the age range to be more inclusive. Oseni looked back some of the many amazing highlights, from workshops on First Aid and Youth Mental Health to MMA and dance workshops. All enjoyed watching the video of the dance workshop, though not all were impressed with the dancing. As Youth Club, September saw DeafGames open for ages 14 to 25. With activities such as boardgames, Taskmaster, and a trip to TocaSocial.

Julian Fenesan, founder of Achieve Social Club for living clients over 18, presented on the club’s fantastic trips this year, to the RAF Museum, Garden at 120 and day trips to Reading and Slough, to foster its members independence.

Another sad loss for R!C was North London Badminton closing, though South London Badminton Club continued to thrive. With its tournament seeing lots of BSL users across London get competitive.

To wrap up the AGM, was the much-anticipated announcement of the volunteers of the year award for Deaf Self and Remark! Community. R!C and Deaf-Self were overjoyed to be able to report on such an exciting and positive year and look forward to breaking into the New Year on such a high. They concluded by saying a massive thank you to all who made 2025 the fantastic year it was, from the volunteers, members and donators we could not do it without you. Until next year!