Cumbria Deaf Association

What Cumbria Deaf Association does

Cumbria Deaf Association is an independent registered charity (Charity No. 1088406) established in 1894, headquartered at 5 Castle Street, Kendal, England, providing specialist services for Deaf, hard of hearing, deafened, and Deafblind people across Cumbria. The organization operates four community hubs (Kendal, Barrow-in-Furness, Carlisle, and Whitehaven) and delivers a portfolio of services including BSL interpretation in medical, legal, employment, and education settings; care and support work; deaf awareness training for organizations; introductory BSL courses; mental health and wellbeing programming; and community space hire at the Barrow Hub.

The underlying "technology" of the organization is human-delivered specialist expertise, principally qualified British Sign Language interpretation and translation, complemented by BSL video production for accessible content (including YouTube signed videos and Shorts). The charity also relies on a network of student placements via university partnerships with Heriot-Watt University and the University of Central Lancashire to support its BSL talent pipeline.

The revenue model is multi-stream and characteristic of a UK community charity rather than a commercial enterprise. Income is generated through charitable donations and fundraising (including a regular lottery sweepstake and JustGiving online donations), fees for professional services (interpreting assignments, care support, deaf awareness training at £300 per 3-hour session), BSL course fees (£95 per 4- or 6-week course), and ancillary venue hire (£15-£30 per hour). Funding is supplemented by grants from foundations including Garfield Weston, Screwfix Foundation, Cumbria Community Foundation, Lloyds Bank Foundation, BBC Children in Need, Co-op Foundation, and corporate CSR partners such as Stagecoach and Gilkes. The organization has approximately 10 core employees supplemented by an active volunteer program, with disclosed operational throughput of over 200 interpreting hours per month and 150+ organizations trained.

Name

Cumbria Deaf Association

Legal name

Cumbria Deaf Association

Website

https://cumbriadeaf.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1894

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cumbria Deaf Association is an independent UK charity, founded 1894, that supports Deaf and hard of hearing people across Cumbria through BSL interpreting, care services, deaf awareness training, sign language courses, and community hubs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability and Accessibility Services

NAICS

Translation and Interpretation Services (54193)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Note-Taking, Interpreting & Communication Access Services (EDALAGAD), Sign Language Learning Programs (ASL/BSL, etc.) (EDAMAFAM), Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH)

Keywords

• Deaf support services
• BSL interpretation
• Deaf awareness training
• Sign language courses
• Disability community services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kendal, England

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations & Fundraising: The organization relies on charitable donations from individuals, companies, and trusts to fund operations and service delivery.
2. Care & Support Services: Specialist support work delivered to deaf and hard of hearing individuals across Cumbria, including support workers providing practical and communication assistance.
3. Deaf Awareness Training: Deaf awareness training courses offered to businesses and organizations at £300 for a 3-hour in-person session.
4. Interpreting Services: BSL interpretation services provided in medical, legal, employment, education, and social settings. Includes translation and BSL video services.
5. BSL Courses: Introduction to British Sign Language courses offered across Cumbria, typically at £95 per person for 6-week courses or £95 for 4-week courses.
6. Room Hire: Venue hire at the Barrow Hub - £15 per hour for charities, £30 per hour for all other events.
7. Lottery Sweepstake: Regular lottery sweepstake draws as a fundraising mechanism for the charity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cumbria Deaf Association is an independent local charity that provides British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation, deaf awareness training, care and support services, mental health and wellbeing programmes, and introductory BSL courses to deaf and hard of hearing people across Cumbria. Services are delivered face-to-face through community hubs in Kendal, Barrow-in-Furness, Carlisle, and Whitehaven, with on-site interpreting across medical, legal, employment, education, and community settings. The organisation also offers facilities hire at the Barrow Hub and runs lottery and community fundraising activities.

Product overview

Cumbria Deaf Association is an independent local charity providing a comprehensive suite of specialist services to support Deaf, deafened, hard of hearing, and Deafblind people across Cumbria. The core service portfolio comprises Care & Support Services, Deaf Awareness Training, Interpreting Services (BSL interpretation), Mental Health & Wellbeing Services, and Learn Sign Language Courses. Additional offerings include Barrow Room Hire for community events and an extensive volunteer program. The organization operates multiple hubs across Cumbria (Kendal, Barrow, Carlisle, Whitehaven) and delivers over 200 hours of interpreting monthly to approximately 150 organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Care & Support Services Specialist support work delivering practical and communication support to Hard of Hearing and Deaf family members and residents, helping them maintain independence and quality of life through connection to their communities.
• Deaf Awareness Training Equipping organisations with skills and understanding of all levels of hearing loss. Delivered as a 3-hour in-person training session priced at £300, helping businesses improve services to deaf and hard of hearing staff and customers.
• Interpreting Services British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation in various settings including medical, legal, employment, education, and life events. Also includes translation services and BSL video creation for accessibility.
• Mental Health & Wellbeing Services Coffee mornings, wellbeing walks, and CDA Hearing Matters Sessions promoting connections and mental health support for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals across Cumbria.
• Learn Sign Language Courses Introduction to British Sign Language (BSL) courses at £95 per person, BSL practice groups, and professional development for trainee interpreters. Courses available across Cumbria in multiple locations.
• Barrow Room Hire Clean, spacious room at Barrow Hub available for hire for community groups and events. Facilities include tea/coffee making, accessible toilets, pool table, and dart board. Priced at £15/hour for charities and £30/hour for other events.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 hours of interpreting delivered every month
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• The Big LunchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Big Lunch community initiative supports Cumbria Deaf Association's community engagement activities.
• Robin Ash (SignHealth)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSignHealth representative who visited the Whitehaven Hub to provide talks about Deaf Rights and mental health support services.
• Mhari (British Deaf Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMhari from the British Deaf Association (BDA) came to the Whitehaven Hub to talk about Deaf Rights.
• HealthwatchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthwatch set up sessions to gather feedback from deaf people about how they access NHS services, working with Cumbria Deaf Association.
• Met RADminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMet RAD provided Gas and Electricity Bills advice sessions at the Whitehaven Hub.
• SignHealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with SignHealth to run a series of mental health and wellbeing workshops at the Barrow Hub.
• Workington Town CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint arts project with Workington Town Council, working with artist Alison Critchlow to create large canvas portraits for library windows.
• BID ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBID Services provides specialist equipment services for adults (16+) in Cumbria who are deaf or hard of hearing, offering free home assessments and equipment.
• Heriot-Watt UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeriot-Watt University in Edinburgh provides student placements for BSL and Deaf Studies students at Cumbria Deaf Association.
• University of Central LancashireminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Central Lancashire in Preston provides student placements for BSL and Deaf Studies students at Cumbria Deaf Association.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sense: Large national charity supporting people with complex disabilities including deafblindness, offering services, advocacy, and advice. Sense's broader disability remit makes it a broader-incumbent peer — overlapping in Deafblind and complex-disability support but operating at much larger scale than Cumbria Deaf Association.
• Hearing Loss Charity: National consumer organisation representing the 12 million people in the UK with hearing loss, providing information, campaigning, and community support. Overlaps with CDA's advocacy and deaf awareness training remit but operates at significantly larger national scale.
• UK Council on Deafness: National umbrella body for organisations working with deaf people, representing the sector to government. Comparable in advocacy and policy engagement to Cumbria Deaf Association's work with local authorities on Equality Act and BSL Act compliance, though operating at national rather than regional level.

Direct peers

• BID Services: Provides specialist equipment, deaf awareness training, and BSL interpreter services across the Midlands and beyond. BID Services is currently CDA's partner for specialist equipment provision in Cumbria, making it a clear functional peer in BSL and deaf-accessibility services.
• SignHealth: National deaf charity delivering mental health, wellbeing, and advocacy services to the deaf community — directly comparable services to CDA's Mental Health & Wellbeing and Care & Support offerings. Cumbria Deaf Association actively collaborates with SignHealth (joint workshops at Barrow Hub), confirming operational similarity.
• British Deaf Association (BDA): The national representative organisation for the deaf community in the UK, providing advocacy, deaf rights, and community support. The BDA has visited CDA's Whitehaven Hub to deliver Deaf Rights talks, evidencing overlap in mission and beneficiary community.
• Deaf Direct: Regional deaf charity providing advice, advocacy, interpreting, and community engagement across Herefordshire, Worcestershire, and surrounding areas. Operates a comparable hub-and-visit model delivering interpreting and support to deaf people in a defined UK region.
• Action Deafness: Charity providing interpreting, advocacy, training, and community engagement services to deaf and hard of hearing people across the East Midlands and nationally. Closely comparable service portfolio to Cumbria Deaf Association, including BSL interpreting, deaf awareness training, and personal support.

Emerging players

• National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS): UK charity dedicated to deaf children and young people, providing family support, education advocacy, and youth services. Comparable in mission to CDA's support work with deaf children and families in Cumbria, though focused specifically on the under-25 cohort.

Regional players

• Deafblind UK: National charity supporting people with combined sight and hearing loss, providing services, advocacy, and befriending. Overlaps with CDA's Deafblind client segment within its Care & Support Services, though Deafblind UK operates across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland rather than regionally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cumbriadeafassociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cumbria-deaf-association

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cumbria Deaf Association