Riley’s Bar at Manchester Deaf Centre has been newly refurbished and will welcome you every Wednesday evening from 7pm to 10pm and during Saturday events. The bar can also be hired for private events. Our staff – Kelly, Michelle and David – have been working hard in recent months renovating the bar area and bringing together a new team of lovely volunteer bar staff.
The bar’s new name was chosen in memory of Dr Terry Riley OBE, who passed away in 2019. Manchester born and bred, Terry was a prominent broadcaster, campaigner for Deaf rights, and a leader within the Deaf community who helped to raise the profile of British Sign Language. He became secretary and chair of Manchester Deaf Centre at the age of 15, and went on to chair the British Deaf Association and become editor of the BBC’s See Hear programmes.
Riley’s Bar opening night on the 18th of August was a huge success, with around 50 people attending for drinks and canapés.
Centre Manager, John Hesketh, welcomed everyone on behalf of MDC’s management team. Trustee, Brian Kokoruwe, followed by highlighting the importance of the social bar in bringing people into MDC, thereby introducing them to our wider programme and service offer. Maria Brennan, Terry Riley’s sister, then gave a speech about Terry’s life, his connection to Manchester Deaf Centre and his Deaf rights work at national and European level.
Our team have been putting together a monthly events programme. Upcoming events are listed below. Keep an eye out on our social media and ‘What's New’ web page for updates regarding future events.
Deaf Transgender Awareness Workshop
Saturday 11th September 2pm with Samantha Pearsall
Samantha Pearsall is a Trans educator, author and speaker who is passionate about sharing her experience to improve the lives of the Deaf Trans Community worldwide. The transgender workshop aims to raise awareness. It will cover issues such as what does transgender mean and transgender youth mental health. Everyone is welcome.
Riley's Bar will be open.
Tickets are £20 and include food and a free drink. Samantha will also be selling her new book.
Saturday 16th October 11am–2pm, £1 entry donation, £15 stall hire.
We are going to be hosting our first ever MDC Market. We are looking for vendors who are D/deaf or Hard of Hearing and would like to hire a stall. Do you make, bake, craft or create? £15 per vendor. The number of spaces is limited, so book your stall soon!
