Over twenty years of connecting communities

“Effective communication is a powerful tool that can change a nation’s fate and build a better world”
Mebrak Ghebreweldi, Director and Founder of Vandu Languages
 

Humble Beginnings

Vandu Languages has been providing interpreting and translation services to the local community since 1999. We're a family-run business founded by Mebrak Ghebreweldi, originally from Eritrea, where she was a freedom fighter during the Eritrean War of Independence. It was in the army where Mebrak experienced firsthand the life-changing difference good communication can make. 

After completing her MA degree in business management, Mebrak was a single mother with two sons under five to support. It was then she became inspired to start her own translations company. The first few months demanded her working long days and nights – but six months later she had more than 30 linguists covering 16 languages.

Today, Vandu is a thriving Sussex-based business with clients across the UK and based internationally. What makes us stand out is our dedication to building relationships with our clients, delivering customized service, and our commitment to investing in local and minority communities. Learn more about Mebrak’s story here.

Our Services

Vandu is established as one of the leading Interpreting and Translation services in the South East of England. Some of our most requested languages across the county include Arabic, Bengali, Farsi, Polish, and Mandarin – but we offer 135 languages and can also provide additional support for requests that need other foreign dialects. We’re known for delivering personalised service and value for money across our interpreting, translation and advocacy services offerings.

Interpreting Services: Our interpreting services include video interpreting, community interpreting, conference interpreting and telephone/remote interpreting. Find out more on how we can help with your specific interpreting needs here.

Translation Services: Our translators provide support across a wide range of sectors including Healthcare, Digital Marketing, Education, Financial Services, Insurance, Insurance, Government, Travel, Legal, and Business, to name just a few. Learn more about the different types of documents we can help you with here.

Bilingual Advocacy Services: Our bilingual advocates are here to help communicate the needs of clients and help them gain access to relevant information in areas including health services, dental care, or employment advice for example. Learn more about our bilingual advocacy service here.

Our Clients

For more than two decades, Vandu has been providing translation services to the local community through a diverse range of clients including the NHS, Brighton and Hove City Council, and East Sussex County Council. We have built up a loyal client-base over the years who can speak to our professionalism. One of our clients from West Sussex County Council, Millie Ker, shared her experience of working with Vandu and why we are her first choice for interpreting, translation, and bilingual advocacy work:

“What impresses me the most is the way that the service supports, trains and guides their interpreters… We value the work of Vandu so much and their experience, trained interpreters and translators – they know what we’re looking for.” 

View more of our client testimonials here.

Our People

We have over 1,500 qualified and reliable interpreters and translators that speak well over 135 different languages. For clients that operate in specific sectors, our linguists can provide specialist subject knowledge. Many of our linguists work in key locations around the world so they’re localised to your target audience. If they’re working in your target time-zone this means you may be able to receive your translations more quickly. Our linguists not only deliver fast and accurate work for our clients every time, but they’re also supported by project managers who make sure things run smoothly every step of the way. Our experienced team know how important it is to be agile and will work to meet your deadlines – whether it’s an urgent 24-hour turnaround a longer-term project.

Our Mission

We’re proud of our commercial achievements but, ultimately, it’s helping local minority communities that really resonates with us and drives us forward. We believe in paying our linguists fairly and giving them the training they need to succeed and deliver for our clients. Over the years, we have trained many migrants and refugees to become community interpreters – some of whom have started up businesses of their own. We invest in every one of our translators because we know their success benefits not only minority communities but wider communities in the UK and internationally too. Our emphasis on the importance of language and connecting communities is what fuels Vandu to keep going.

Our Vision

"Vandu Languages want to be the first point of call for quality interpreting and translation for public, private and third sector organisations in the UK and abroad.     
We want our customers, interpreters and translators to feel like Vandu Languages is part of their team, rather than just a service provider."

Today, Vandu provides interpreters for thousands of appointments for different clients across the UK, and our caring, attentive and knowledgeable office team are ready to help you every step of the way. If you’d like to hear more, please give us a call on 01273 473986 or email info@vandu.co.uk, and if you’d like to make a booking or get a quote, click on the links below and we can help you straight away.

Click here to book an interpreter