Nottinghamshire Deaf Society

What Nottinghamshire Deaf Society does

Nottinghamshire Deaf Society (NDS) is a registered charity (No. 1040801) and company limited by guarantee (No. 02868934) headquartered at 22 Forest Road West, Nottingham. Founded in 1868 as the Nottingham Institute for the Deaf and operating under its current name since a 1995 legal restructuring, NDS delivers a comprehensive suite of services for deaf, deafened, hard-of-hearing, and deafblind individuals across Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, and the wider East Midlands region. The organisation traces 155+ years of continuous service, with 50% of its 11-person staff being deaf BSL users.

NDS's service portfolio is anchored by four core capabilities. The Nottinghamshire Sign Language Interpreting Service (NSLIS) provides BSL/English interpreting and communication support, including emergency out-of-hours coverage and a SignVideo dimension; the Welfare Rights service covers benefits such as PIP, DLA, ESA, and Universal Credit; Employment Support is delivered by native BSL users with Access to Work guidance; and Advocacy (Care Act, Independent Mental Health, Independent Mental Capacity, NHS Complaints) is delivered in BSL via a partnership with POhWER. NDS also operates Signature-accredited BSL training at Levels 1-3 alongside deaf awareness training and lipreading classes, all taught by deaf BSL tutors. Community outreach includes eight monthly coffee mornings across Nottinghamshire and the 2024-launched Deaf Connections Project. Distribution is hybrid: a central Nottingham hub plus outreach across 10+ community venues, an online booking system for interpreters, and a Bookeo-powered course registration portal.

NDS is a non-profit operating a hybrid community-led and direct-to-consumer model, generating revenue from five streams: local authority and NHS commissioned services (Nottinghamshire County Council, Nottingham City Council, Nottingham University Hospitals, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board), paid training courses (£470-£1,184 per BSL course tier), interpreting service fees, donations and fundraising, and trust/foundation grants (Masonic Charitable Foundation, Jessie Spencer Trust). Customers include both institutional commissioners (NHS trusts, councils, universities, probation, police) and individual deaf service users; in 2024 NDS supported more than 5,000 deaf people and delivered 6,530 hours of interpreting. The organisation has no parent company, no subsidiaries, and is governed by a Board of Trustees who also serve as Directors.

Name

Nottinghamshire Deaf Society

Legal name

Nottinghamshire Deaf Society

Website

https://nottsdeaf.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nottinghamshire Deaf Society is a Nottingham-based registered charity delivering BSL interpreting, welfare rights advice, advocacy, employment support, BSL training, and community services to deaf, deafened, hard-of-hearing, and deafblind individuals across Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, and the East Midlands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Support Services

NAICS

Translation and Interpretation Services (54193), Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Deaf/Hard of Hearing & Vision Services (Audiology, Interpreting, Orientation & Mobility) (EDAJAKAI), Note-Taking, Interpreting & Communication Access Services (EDALAGAD)

Keywords

• Deaf community services
• BSL interpreting services
• Welfare rights advice
• Deaf awareness training
• Sign language courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Nottingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Commissioned Services: Delivers commissioned services through organisations including Nottinghamshire County Council, Nottingham University Hospitals, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board, Nottingham Citizens Advice Bureau and Nottingham City Council.
2. Training Course Fees: Revenue from accredited BSL Level 1, 2, 3 courses and deaf awareness training for individuals and organisations, with payment plans available.
3. Interpreting Service Fees: BSL interpreting and communication services provided to organisations and individuals, with emergency out-of-hours service available.
4. Donations and Fundraising: Voluntary donations, fundraising events, corporate partnerships, and legacy donations from supporters.
5. Trust and Foundation Funding: Funding from Trust funds including Jessie Spencer Trust and Masonic Charitable Foundation for specific projects like free BSL courses for parents.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Nottinghamshire Deaf Society (NDS) is a registered charity delivering a comprehensive suite of services for deaf, deafened, hard-of-hearing and deafblind people across Nottingham, Nottinghamshire and the East Midlands. Core offerings include the Nottinghamshire Sign Language Interpreting Service (NSLIS) providing NRCPD-registered BSL/English interpreters and lipspeakers with emergency out-of-hours coverage, welfare rights advice on benefits such as PIP, DLA, ESA and Universal Credit, advocacy services (Care Act, Independent Mental Health, Independent Mental Capacity, NHS Complaints) delivered in partnership with POhWER, employment support including Access to Work guidance, Signature-accredited BSL training at Levels 1, 2 and 3, deaf awareness training for organisations, lipreading classes, and community groups including coffee mornings and social clubs.

Product overview

Nottinghamshire Deaf Society (NDS) is a registered charity offering a comprehensive suite of services for deaf, deafened, and hard-of-hearing people across Nottingham, Nottinghamshire and the East Midlands. The core offerings include the Nottinghamshire Sign Language Interpreting Service (NSLIS) providing BSL/English interpreters; Welfare Rights Service for benefits advice; Employment Support Service; and Advocacy Services (in partnership with POhWER). Training provisions include Signature-accredited BSL courses (Levels 1-3), Deaf Awareness Training, and Lipreading Classes. Community support comprises various social groups, the Deaf Connections Project, Duty-Time Service, and Emergency Out-of-Hours Interpreting. The organization also provides an online booking system for interpreter requests and training course registration. 50% of NDS staff are deaf BSL users.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nottinghamshire Sign Language Interpreting Service (NSLIS)

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,000+ deaf people supported annually across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nottinghamshire County CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024NDS launched the Deaf Connections project in May 2024, funded by Nottinghamshire County Council. The project aims to connect deaf people across Nottinghamshire through coffee mornings, community groups, and improved access to organisations. Coffee sessions set up in Arnold, Newark, Mansfield, Worksop, Beeston, Kimberley and West Bridgford.
• Portland CollegeminorOthers · 1 January 2024NDS sold their building to Portland College in 2024 but continues using the main office and halls for courses and groups at the Forest Road West location.
• POhWERcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNDS works in partnership with POhWER to deliver advocacy services ensuring deaf people have informed choice and voice. POhWER helps advocates and advisers support deaf people to understand and access rights under the Human Rights Act 1998. Services include Care Act Advocacy, Independent Mental Health Advocacy, Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy, and NHS Complaints Advocacy delivered in deaf people's preferred language.
• Nottingham Central LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNDS provides BSL interpreters twice monthly to make Nottingham Central Library's Totstime and Storytime sessions accessible for deaf families. BSL Totstime runs first Thursday monthly and BSL Storytime runs third Monday monthly.
• National Register of Communication Professionals (NRCPD)coreTechnology or IntegrationNRCPD is the regulatory body that safeguards wellbeing and interests of people who rely on communication professionals. All NDS interpreters are registered with NRCPD which checks qualifications, holds enhanced DBS disclosures, ensures professional indemnity insurance, and maintains Code of Conduct.
• Investors in People (IIP)minorOthersNDS is an Investors in People (IIP) organisation, demonstrating commitment to people management and staff development standards.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• SignHealth: UK deaf health charity addressing health inequalities for deaf people — overlaps with NDS's NHS advocacy and health-related commissioned work but focused specifically on health outcomes.

Direct peers

• Action Deafness: UK charity providing communication support, advocacy, employment support and training for deaf people — closely overlapping NDS's welfare, advocacy, BSL training and community service mix.
• Royal Association for Deaf people (RAD): Long-established London/SE-based deaf charity delivering BSL interpreting, advocacy, employment and community services — directly comparable service portfolio and target population to NDS.
• BID Services: Birmingham-based charity delivering BSL interpreting, advocacy and deaf services across the Midlands — a direct regional peer to NDS with overlapping commissioner relationships.

Broad incumbents

• British Deaf Association (BDA): UK-wide deaf-led national membership organisation campaigning on deaf rights and delivering community programmes — broader remit than NDS but overlapping advocacy and deaf-community focus.
• National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS): UK-wide charity for deaf children and families — comparable on family-facing BSL support and deaf-awareness training but with a national rather than regional footprint.
• Sense (for deafblind people): National charity supporting people with deafblindness and complex disabilities — overlaps with NDS's deafblind interpretation and communication support offering, but at a much larger scale.

Others

• Signature: UK awarding body for accredited BSL qualifications (Levels 1-3) — NDS delivers Signature-accredited BSL courses; Signature is an enabling/ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.
• POhWER: National advocacy charity and existing NDS partner delivering Care Act, Mental Health and NHS Complaints Advocacy — comparable on advocacy delivery but operating as a back-office partner rather than a competitor.

Regional players

• Deaf Direct: Worcestershire-based deaf charity offering advocacy, BSL training, equipment and community support — directly comparable regional service model but serving a different county.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/711594649321653
• Instagraminstagram.com/zoevisualart
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nottsdeaf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Nottinghamshire Deaf Society