Published by Sue Johns-Chapman
Published Date 22.10.2025 
The National Deaf Children’s Society share their amazing ‘A Message to Younger Me’ campaign.
At the National Deaf Children’s Society, our mission has always been to help create a world where anything is possible for deaf children. For this year’s Deaf Awareness Week, we brought that mission to life through A Message to Younger Me – a campaign that’s just been named Best Charity/Not-for-Profit Campaign at the 2025 UK Social Media Awards. This win recognises the heart, authenticity and impact behind every story we shared.
The judges praised the campaign for its “heart-warming storytelling, clear objectives, and powerful impact”, recognising its creative strength, authenticity, and meaningful community engagement.
Putting deaf voices front and centre
Deaf Awareness Week often sparks a wave of online content, but not always from deaf people themselves. We wanted to change that.
Our campaign, A Message to Younger Me, gave deaf people the opportunity to talk directly to their younger selves, sharing what they wish they’d known growing up deaf. The result was a series of powerful, emotional and deeply authentic video letters – messages full of honesty, pride and reflection.
Each story was unique, featuring deaf people from across the UK using a range of communication styles – from British Sign Language (BSL) to speech or a mix of both. Together, these stories gave deaf young people representation they could truly relate to, while offering parents of deaf children something even more powerful: hope for the future.
A campaign built on collaboration and authenticity
The campaign was created entirely in-house, thanks to brilliant teamwork across our Media, Multimedia, Design, Editorial, Website and Marketing teams, and the support of deaf content creators and our internal Deaf Language and Empowerment group.
Each video was crafted to be platform-native, optimised for Instagram and TikTok, and fully accessible with captions, BSL and voiceovers. We worked tirelessly to balance creativity with accessibility, testing every video to ensure it met our standards while still feeling authentic to social platforms.
Despite challenges, our collaborative approach and commitment to inclusion helped the campaign stay on track and reach new heights.
The results
During Deaf Awareness Week (5–11 May 2025), A Message to Younger Me exceeded every target:
- 251,165 impressions (up 33% from 2024)
- 135,367 video views (up 59% from 2024)
- 16,615 engagements (up 93% from 2024)
- 2,365 link clicks (up 39% from 2024)
- 6.6% average engagement rate (up 78% from 2024)
- 791 new followers (up 28% from 2024)
Every metric showed significant growth. But beyond the numbers, the true success was emotional. Parents of deaf children told us the videos gave them hope. Deaf young people said they finally saw themselves reflected in the stories on their feed.
George Crockford, CEO of the National Deaf Children’s Society, said: “This was a fantastic campaign and a massive achievement for our team and the communities we represent. This campaign showcases the power of authenticity in storytelling to connect with people, as well as celebrate the rich experiences of deaf individuals. It also provided parents of deaf children, and deaf children themselves, with hope and a feeling of being seen. I want to thank everyone who shared their stories and helped us achieve this impact.”
Why this award means so much
Winning this award isn’t just a recognition of creative excellence – it’s a celebration of deaf identity and the power of authentic storytelling. It’s proof that when you let communities tell their own stories, people take notice.
Reflecting on the award win, Sofiane Ziad, Senior Social Media Manager at the National Deaf Children’s Society, said: “This award means the world to us because it celebrates what social media should be about: connection, authenticity and representation. A Message to Younger Me wasn’t just a campaign – it was a moment of visibility and pride for deaf young people and their families. I couldn’t be prouder of all the teams who helped bring this campaign to life.”
Watch the video letters over on our Instagram.
About the National Deaf Children’s Society
We’re the National Deaf Children’s Society, the charity for deaf children with any level of hearing loss. We believe nothing should hold deaf children back. We’re here for families every step of the way, from the moment deafness is identified through to early adulthood. For information and support, visit ndcs.org.uk
