Making Makaton magical this Christmas

With the festive season well underway, we hope that you’re at least thinking about putting the tree up and getting into the spirit! Christmas is a time to celebrate and reflect, and making sure that celebrations are inclusive to all is something we’re very passionate about.

That’s why we’ve teamed up with Allan Evans, better known as the Steelworks Santa, a former learner at Busy Bees Education and Training. We wanted to find out why Makaton, a nationally recognised language programme that uses speech, signs and symbols to communicate everyday vocabulary, is such an important skill for him to have when communicating with children every Christmas.

What inspired you to become the Steelworks Santa?

I started portraying Father Christmas back in 2017 after a colleague of mine asked if I would be Santa Claus for the children at work Christmas parties. I actually work in the steelworks at Port Talbot, hence the name. After discussions with my wife and my daughter - now known as Mrs Claus and Candy Cane respectively – the concept of the Steelworks Santa began! We started fundraising in 2018 after my colleague Alex suddenly passed away a week before his wedding. He really loved Christmas and used to wear a different Christmas jumper every day throughout December. This made me decide that I wanted to raise money for charities to try and help as much as I could.

What is Makaton and why did you want to learn it?

Well, in my mind Makaton is a way of connecting. It's connecting with people who are non-verbal, both adults and children alike, that can't converse in any other way. With festive activities, we never know who's going to come through the door to meet Father Christmas. After a couple of seasons, I knew I needed a way to connect with people so that they can also share in the spirit and magic of Christmas.

Is Makaton difficult to learn?

I don't think Makaton itself is difficult to learn it. It is easier for me to learn Makaton than some of the other available languages. I find it simple, straightforward, intuitive and it's easy to understand and repeat. I have passed the Level 1 Makaton by attending sessions held by Busy Bees Education and Training. It was the perfect vehicle for me to achieve what I wanted to do. I would recommend learning Makaton to anybody who asked.

What's next on your Makaton journey?

Once we've got this festive season out the way, then I am going to be looking to increase my knowledge of Makaton and the next stage would be to look at Level 2, but I'm also going to try to use the Busy Bees Education and Training online resources that are available as well.

For more information on how you can learn Makaton, take a look at the four different courses we have on offer.