I am a sign language trainer, presenter, author and creator of the award winning, celebrity endorsed, and critically acclaimed, children’s sign language book series, & Learn to sign with Olli& which aim to teach sign language to children, parents and professionals working with young children in an easy and fun way by featuring the character of Olli, a little monkey who loves to sign.
I worked as the Sign Language consultant for the children’s television series ‘Make Shake & Jake& that is currently being broadcast on SKY.
In addition to my role as a trainer and author, I am an experienced presenter and I have done presentations and sign language workshops all over the UK for clients including Borders Bookstores, The Lincoln Book Festival, The National Childminders Association, Liverpool Children’s Festival, The Nottingham Arts Festival, The Lincoln Children’s Festival and Lincolnshire and Gateshead Library services among others.
Recent clients for the Sign with Olli workshops include the National Childminders Association, Staffordshire County Council, Café Direct in London, The Special Needs Show in Manchester, W.H. Smiths, The National Deaf Children’s Society and Twycross Zoo.
‘Learn to sign and cook with Olli’ was the overall gold award winner in the books for age 5 to 7 category in the Practical Pre School Awards 2009 and ‘Learn to sign with Olli’ was highly commended in the books section of the Right Start Best toy awards for 2009.
I am a fully qualified communication support worker for deaf people and I work as a trainer for the Early Years and birth to five services for Lincolnshire & Bedfordshire County Councils, providing sign language and non verbal communication training for their early years and childminding practitioners.
I am also a member of the training subgroup for Lincolnshire county councils Early years & childcare services.
I run entertaining, educational, fun and interactive sign language workshops for children and their families, professionals and carers.
The workshops aim to teach the participants fun rhymes and songs using sign language, and also explores the use and importance of non verbal communication.
Each Sign with Olli show features some really fun signed songs that the children (and adults) can learn and join in with and features a special guest appearance from Olli, the signing monkey!
There is also an opportunity for parents to ask questions about sign language and for the children to have their photographs taken with Olli the monkey.