“I live in Stafford and have been a Trustee since October 2020. My first career was Speech and Language Therapy in the NHS, and since 2007 I have worked as a teacher and researcher at the University of Wolverhampton. Over the years, I have taught many students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. This prompted me to learn BSL at Walsall Deaf Centre, and I completed Level 2 just before it closed down. Wanting to maintain my sign language skills and contribute something to the Deaf community, I then contacted Ddeaflinks. I’m keen to continue to support dDeaflinks into what promises to be a bright future”

“In 2011 I stumbled into the idea of learning British Sign Language and dDeaflinks was there to help. I soon became aware of the difficulties dDeaf people have to overcome daily just to get by in a hearing world. Worse still is the injustice experienced by the dDeaf in the lack of equality of opportunity in education, health care, employment and many other areas. dDeaflinks supports the dDeaf in every way it can and helps the rest of us become aware of these injustices. I want to help dDeaflinks”

Before joining dDeaflinks as a Volunteer and Trustee in April 2025, I spent my entire career in Human Resources, working in leadership roles across multiple industries and sectors.
Upon retiring from full time employment at the start of 2025, I wanted to contribute and get involved with a local charity. As dDeaflinks are focussed on supporting people who are deaf and hard of hearing, a group represented in my immediate family, I felt I could bring some practical understanding, while also being keen to learn more. Starting to learn British Sign Language was a great example of this, and something I am trying hard to use!
What am I particularly passionate about in my new role? As a Trustee who has worked in industry for many years, with an understanding of the commercial challenges this brings, I am keen for dDeaflinks to continue supporting local employers enabling the deaf and hard of hearing to thrive when they are at work and in the wider community.