BID Services is a charity dedicated to removing barriers and delivering services which enable and empower those who are deaf, hard of hearing, sight impaired, deafblind or have other disabilities to live full and independent lives.
Our roots trace back to 1872, when the Birmingham Town Mission began supporting the city’s Deaf community. From these beginnings, our work evolved eventually forming a separate charity known today as BID Services. Today, we are recognised for our specialist expertise in supporting children, young people, adults, and their families and carers who are deaf, hard of hearing, sight impaired, severely sight impaired or have a dual sensory loss.
Through innovative and responsive service delivery, our dedicated staff and volunteers work in close partnership with clients to promote independence, remove barriers, and ensure informed choice. We provide access to vital information, advice, support, and activities delivered at the right time and in the right place. Our mission is to empower individuals to live the lives they choose, seize opportunities that matter to them, and achieve their personal aspirations.
Our services, all shaped by community needs, include:
- Information, advice and guidance services.
- Specialist equipment and technology assessment, advice and training.
- British Sign Language interpreting and training.
- Employment support helping people into education, training and employment.
- Housing and benefit related support.
- Social Work.
- Social activities and groups.
- Accommodation based services including CQC regulated activity.
- Rehabilitation and mobility training supporting those with sight loss to regain or maintain independence and daily living skills.
Operating across the Midlands and the North of England, with our head office in Birmingham, our work is sustained through contracts, primarily with local authorities, grants, donations, legacies and fundraising initiatives.
BID Services also owns and operates Deaf Cultural Centre (Trading) Limited, an incorporated company responsible for managing the award-winning Deaf Cultural Centre (DCC) in Birmingham.
Opened in 2007, the building is home to our charity’s head office and serves as a cultural hub for the local deaf and hard of hearing community, hosting many of our Birmingham based services and community activities alongside providing a welcoming space for the wider community. At the heart of the DCC is our social enterprise, The Signing Tree Venue (STV), which offers high quality conference, meeting and events facilities for hire. Income generated through STV helps to support our charitable work.
At BID Services, we are committed to creating an inclusive society where every individual has the opportunity to thrive. You will be joining us at an exciting time in our journey as we look to expand our services, grow our influence and work collaboratively with our communities and organisations across the country to maximise our impact. With our current strategy running to 2027, you will be joining us at a crucial time as we set out our path for the coming years.
Our vision
A society where everyone, whether they are D/deaf, hard of hearing, sight impaired, deafblind or have other disabilities can live full lives and experience a world without barriers.
Our purpose
Working together to remove barriers and deliver services which enable and empower those who are D/deaf, hard of hearing, sight impaired, deafblind or have other disabilities to live full lives.
Our values
- Caring: We will show everyone kindness and understanding.
- Trusted: We will be reliable and responsible in everything we do.
- Professional: We aim to achieve high standards in all we do.
- Empowering: We will support people to make informed choices and have control over their lives.
- Supportive: We will always be encouraging and helpful.
Further reading
- Explore our website.
- Read our Annual Accounts and Reports.
- Review our Organisation chart or view our plain text version.
Our Strategy
Our current organisational strategy covers the period 2024 to 2027 with 5 key priorities.
Strategic Priorities
- A strong and sustainable organisation.
- BID – an excellent place to work.
- To deliver high quality services that promote independence, financial, physical and mental wellbeing.
- To grow and extend the reach and range of our services.
- To promote equality, diversity, and inclusion.
As we reflect on the first half of this period, we are proud to report that we have already made considerable progress across all five priority areas. We have launched new services such as our Employment Service in Leeds, improved quality and governance processes, increased representation within our Board, expanded our coproduction activities ensuring our communities are at the heart of our services and invested in our staff development through professional qualifications and training programmes.
The last few years have brought their challenges for BID Services, like the rest of the third sector. We have seen increases in operational costs, the cost-of-living crisis impacting clients and staff alike, and increased demand on charitable funders for support. Alongside this is a changing environment in which digital delivery, cyber security and the term ‘AI’ have become commonplace. We have therefore had to adapt. However, with a strong staff team, investment in this team, development and implementation of strategies to diversify and grow our income and investment in infrastructure, governance and security, we have been able to maintain our focus and priorities and are in a strong position to continue moving the organisation forwards.
As our new CEO, you will have the opportunity to not only support BID Services to continue working towards our existing strategy, you will also be key in shaping the future of BID Services, working with our communities, staff, volunteers and Board to set out our next strategy.
