Andover and District Mencap are leading the way in making Andover a ‘Makaton-Friendly’ town.
Makaton is an easy to learn sign language. Over 100,000 children and adults use Makaton symbols and signs as either their main method of communication, or as a way to support speech. Makaton is of use for those who may find using speech alone challenging.
In February 2018 Romsey became the first ‘Makaton Friendly Town’ in the U.K,. With “More than 30 organisations in Romsey now using Makaton to communicate with children and adults with communication difficulties.”
Next year, Andover and District Mencap (ADM), with financal support from the area’s local authorities aim to make Andover a Makaton-Friendly Town.
The charity is planning a number of events and workshops in 2020 so local businesses can learn more about this efficient and beneficial sign language.
Local radio station Andover Radio was one of the first organisations to sign-up to the invitation when ADM’s success was announced in October.
ADM CEO Chris Dixon previous said, “We are really excited about this project and we sincerely hope that we can secure the funding to make this a reality for the town of Andover.
“Makaton is a worldwide communication language and for Andover to join Romsey as a leader in spreading the word would be a truly magnificent thing for those that use Makaton as their tool to speak to the world”.
If you or your organisation would like to find out more, please contact: mfriendly@andovermencap.org
