iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

As a recent convert to loving cricket and a co-op fan, this campaign resonates. Private equity has taken over so many of our services for monetary gain and caused risk and reduced quality. As for our fun being stripped away... less independent festivals... and now this... It is just not cricket!

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

Smaller deaf organisations are under threat or have already closed, volunteered for any? send in news here www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

theguardian.com

Volunteers in the UK: what happened when your local charity shut down?

We’d like to hear from volunteers who have experienced a charity closing

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

What a night out! Comedy tickets via Stir to Action / Centre for Democratic Business for 21st Century Clubs at the Mildmay Club... what a venue, what history, what comedy acts! Never a more important time to support ways to rebuild our society as a people-powered force for good. lnkd.in/eZxn32Ak

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

Fantastic event by Empowering Deaf Society for #signlanguageweek and attended by lots of great professionals. Speakers were brilliant! Some progress but we’re still talking about language deprivation through to problems in schools and university. It is time for change. Language is a human right.

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

We’re seeing this across so many areas… Deaf community services / interpreting also gone this way, a sure fire way to increase risk, erode the economy and fail people

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

An absolute pleasure to be part of another School for Social Entrepreneurs programme: NHS London Accelerator. I pitched yesterday. Incredibly inspiring to be with other founders: Dads Kids Club Everyone's A Singer @synappro.bsky.social @talkinghands.bsky.social The Bridge. Good luck to everyone!

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 23/12/2025

What a relief to get my account back... no idea why it was suspended (hopefully no false reports and just an over enthusiastic bot mistake), but I really did not want to go back on X/Twitter! 😅

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 26/11/2025

Huge congratulations to all the winners and nominees of the #socentawards25 this evening! Too many to mention but here’s a couple! @littlegreenchange.bsky.social @zatoun.bsky.social

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Reposted by Jen Bird

Co-operative Party @coopparty.party.coop · 26/11/2025

🚨 NEW: As announced today in the Budget, the Government has published its call for evidence for co-op growth. Launching this investigation on the day of the Budget sends a clear message: this government is committed to growing the co-operative economy.

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Signalise @signalisecoop.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

❓What is a social enterprise? A social enterprise is a business for good. Signalise... ... gives customers value ... increases access for the Deaf community ...and supports interpreters! 😍 🤘🏻 #SocialEnterpriseDay

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Annie Constable @annieconstable.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

Happy #SocialEnterpriseDay! Did you know💡 📈There are 131,000 social enterprises across the country, representing almost 1 in 42 of all UK businesses. 💰£1b in profits has been re-invested to drive social change in the last year 🤝Social enterprises employ 2.3 million people in the UK! (1/3)

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

Congrats to the @coopparty.party.coop on a successful campaign for music fans!

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 12/11/2025

@signalisecoop.bsky.social is on two national frameworks for in-person and video interpreting - NHS Shared Business Services and HealthTrust Europe. Proud of our achievements in tech, reducing missed appointments and inequalities... led by coop members 💪 🔗 Blog: signalise.coop/p/blog-25110...

signalise.coop

Signalise joins more public sector frameworks for interpreting and translation

We’re proud to announce that Signalise is now approved on two national NHS frameworks and one local framework...

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 14/10/2025

Surely this has to stop, sign petition please!

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 29/09/2025

Mutual and Co-operatives Sector Business Council reception … importance of #coops for the economy, for Places and the aims to double the size of the sector #labourconference @rosemarley.bsky.social

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Cllr Tom Laing @tomlaing14.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

While everyone is getting hyped for the Labour Deputy Leadership The Co-op Party is holding a by-election for its NEC in England North (NW, NE, Y&H) I’m delighted to announce I’m standing as someone active our movement I know that Co-op values are only way Labour can defeat reform

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 28/09/2025

Lisa Nandy MP at the diverse communities reception… diversity was part of growing up in the UK and we need to fight for the country we believe in

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 28/09/2025

Diversity reception at #labourconference Baroness Jacqui Smith … other parties do not want equalities but Labour does, it is part of our mission

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 28/09/2025

What an end to #dovasdag2025 #dövasdag in Sweden 🇸🇪 with the supremely talented SignMark 🤩🤩🤩 Tell me someone in the UK has booked him for his final tour in 2026… #deafdayuk anyone? #deaf #signlanguage

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 27/09/2025

Kids are involved in #dovasdag #dovasdag2025 and I can see #deafpride #deafidentity and #signlangage… I imagine there are hearing parents here too mingling and absorbing #deafculture 🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪 this is community 🤩 2/2

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 27/09/2025

THIS is how you do #deaf day #dövasdag #dovasdag2025 exhibition stands, performances, culture, information and debates… and the kids are right there, included and part of the community, art, #deafidentity and #signlanguage 1/2

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 27/09/2025

Onto Stockholm and a busy day on Thursday meeting Sveriges Dovas Riksforbund (Swedish #deaf association) and 2 interpreters… everyone has been so welcoming! The global stories of what we’ve achieved are to be celebrated but even in #sweden so much more to do for #signlanguage and #accessibility

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Erika Fundelius @erikatvicoms.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

My colleagues are losing funding left and right: and its not just research it is to train specialists teachers. It was a quick Friday afternoon dump that got my field on fire, here is a mainstream article #Disability #DEI #TeacherPreparation #Academia #Blind #LowVision #TSVI #COMS #Braille #Deaf

edweek.org

Trump Canceled Millions for Special Education Teacher Training. What's Next?

More than $30 million for teacher training and parent resources will no longer flow as scheduled.

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

Chatting to an American couple in Stockholm. He was a pastor and his wife used to sign in church for a 5 year old deaf girl who’d tell her sometimes that she was using the wrong signs… The next sentence was no surprise… the girl came from a #deaf family #languageacquisition

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

If the NHS is going further down the privatisation route (please no) then this is what we should aspire to… co-operatively owned services that do not take remove money from local economies

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

I’m in Sweden… just been asked for age verification on Blue Sky and thought this was a great initiative. Turns out it’s in the UK too! bsky.social/about/blog/0... so good being on an ethical platform 🙌

bsky.social

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

I was in 🇫🇮 for my Churchill Fellowship research project and visited Kuurojen Litto (FAD) and WFD and saw the Finnish Deaf Museum, met some wonderful people. Brilliant to see a whole building dedicated to deaf people, history and interpreter training via Humak. If only we had this in the UK!

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

Happy United Nations International Day of Sign Languages! from Finland 🇫🇮 🇫🇮 🇫🇮 @signalisecoop.bsky.social

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 02/09/2025

This is the culmination of 5 years of hard work and commitment by co-op members. So happy our work is recognised! Congrats to all those short-listed 🙌 and looking forward to meeting everyone!

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We Own It @weownit.org.uk · 30/07/2025

💯 👇🏼

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 22/08/2025

Visiting family and we’ve got on a train for 11 mins. It’s cost £40 as a family of 4. Just overheard a young family (standing room only for them) saying it would’ve been cheaper for them to drive. #nationalise the trains #privatisationfail @weownit.org.uk

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 07/08/2025

Love our allotment, the community, getting outdoors and hanging with friends growing veg (and sometimes drinking beer). It is the best thing ever. Connection to the land is more important than ever... Sign to keep our allotments: weownit.org.uk/act-now/hand...

weownit.org.uk

Angela Rayner: Hands off our allotments | We Own It

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 07/08/2025

A woman with leg pain relied on her young daughter to interpret...doctor suspected a serious blood clot, referred... urgency was lost in translation. Care delayed. Two days later, the clot traveled to her lungs and she died. #interpreting (From bit.ly/3GZgt6k) medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07... 1/3

medicalxpress.com

Lost in translation: Research shows health care interpreters are underused

Education and training of Australian health practitioners should place greater emphasis on the importance of using professional interpreting services in clinical settings, according to a new book by M...

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

Please sign the petition to below…

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 23/07/2025

Reform MPs want to cut #Deaf #AccessToWork uk.news.yahoo.com/non-english-... #AccessToWork keeps #Deaf people in work, wages = ↑ treasury & employs #BSL #interpreters Compare: Farage's MP salary £91,346 = rarely in his community & earns £1m (www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...) Who is "scrounging"?

uk.news.yahoo.com

Non-English speakers cost DWP £2.12 million in translation costs

£500,000 has been spent on translation costs so far this year alone

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

Platforms & fair work principles are baked into the co-operative democratic governance of platforms (voting, member rights, working together) such as bsky.app/profile/sign... I attended a workshop yesterday with some hugely brilliant minds on all things platform co-op. A good read buff.ly/whQflfR

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

This is how you do engagement and transparency... an APPG you can ask questions and collaborate with. Hugely important in bringing together changemakers supporting govt to drive growth in local communities and increase value delivered Thank you! @patrickhurley.bsky.social @signalisecoop.bsky.social

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 22/05/2025

Highly recommended free CPD. For interpreters and translators with an eye on the future... platforms have the power to shape working conditions with unethical practices damaging to interpreting profession and #Deaf access. Careful who you work with! @iti-uk.bsky.social www.iti.org.uk/training/eve...

iti.org.uk

ITI Coffee House: The platform economy in translation and interpreting

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

I went to Kings College Hospital London and found another example of a fail to supply an interpreter to communicate with a #Deaf patient. Should have gone to @signalisecoop.bsky.social ! #deafaccess #interpreter #NHS #NHSAIS

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 07/05/2025

Great update from the first Social, Cooperative and Community Economy APPG... 4 NW councils have opted for "one stop shops" for interpreting contracts which have done a disservice to local Deaf communities. The evidence for better businesses is there buff.ly/AK1JEwW bsky.app/profile/sign...

buff.ly

‘We could do more’ social enterprises tell the government

The key highlights from the first evidence session of the Social, Cooperative and Community Economy APPG's inquirt into growing diverse business models

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 30/04/2025

It's time for change in holding NHS staff and organisations to account for refusing to book or poor contracts who do not supply due to very low pricing or SLAs. Deaf people deserve access without waiting or fighting for it. #deaf #procurement #socialvalue #NHS #BSL 4/4

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 30/04/2025

We often fill contracts where others cannot. That is community. Also work on solutions that support all users to ensure a great service for Deaf people via our website buff.ly/CBvxMbz and other resources such as our Deaf users' resources pack: buff.ly/4wGVeHt. 3/4

buff.ly

Signalise, book communication professionals from the community of professionals and Deaf people.

A user-owned platform to deliver British Sign Language (BSL) interpreting and other services, specialising in health & social care.

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 30/04/2025

It has been an eye-opening experience in delivering an interpreting service via bsky.app/profile/sign.... NHS is stretched. Our staff & interpreters do lots of staff education, supporting Deaf people to ask for interpreters. So much more education is needed and it is part of our added value. 2/4

buff.ly

Signalise, book communication professionals from the community of professionals and Deaf people.

A user-owned platform to deliver British Sign Language (BSL) interpreting and other services, specialising in health & social care.

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Jen Bird @jenpenbird.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

Read this! #Deaf people's access to healthcare report. More needed from the NHS: contracts with agencies, delivery & NHS systems & staff training. Interpreters often blamed for "not turning up" when issues are often a terrible contract or NHS staff who do not book. 1/4 rnid.org.uk/2025/04/hidd...

rnid.org.uk

Hidden NHS scandal putting millions of lives at risk

A damning new report released today (24 April) by RNID and SignHealth, reveals serious and widespread failings affecting access to healthcare for over 6 million adults in England who are deaf or have…

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