As a family we have been involved with the SDCS for the past 14 years, ever since our son Alexander was
diagnosed as profoundly deaf, following meningitis. For most of this time we have been recipients of
support from the charity, either directly or through funding for the Sensory Inclusion Service (SIS).
 

However, five years ago I took early retirement from teaching and felt that I was now in a position to give
something back to the SDCS. I joined the committee and was soon persuaded to take on the role of Chair.
 

Thanks to the fantastic support of the other committee members I have had a really enjoyable time as Chair. I am particularly pleased with the great team effort that enabled us to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the SDCS in style, with a superb charity ball and excellentfamily fun day.

I started my career as a Nanny in London in 1990, which was a great experience after growing up in sleepy Shropshire. I moved back to Telford in 2000 with my two children and worked as a Support Worker for Help to Quit and a HLTA at Ercall Wood Technology College.

I joined the SIS team in 2009 as a Social Inclusion Facilitator, working with children, young people and
their families across the county. I am also responsible for organising many activities including events for pre-
school, primary, secondary, FE and family events along with our weekly Family Group at the Stepping Stones
Centre. 

I always look forward to receiving the amazing achievements of the children and young
people and keeping you informed of what’s going on. I feel very privileged to have such a rewarding and
varied job and working with such a dedicated team.

I am currently the Treasurer for the Shropshire Deaf Children’s Society
(SDCS). After spending most of my adult life living abroad, I returned to the UK with my family in 2014
and settled in the wilds of Shrewsbury.

My daughter, Effie, was diagnosed as being profoundly deaf in 2013 while we were living in China, and
although we loved the idea of living in Shropshire, we had no family or friend ties in the county.
I started to attend the family group with Effie pretty much as soon as we arrived and the support that
we received from just a couple of hours a week was tremendous. As Effie started school and I took on a role
at Harper Adams University, we could no longer attend family group but I was keen to keep strong links with
the people that we had met. Both Effie and I felt a real sense of community from the time we spent there and

as a consequence, I joined the SDCS as a committee member and later took on the
role of Treasurer.

It soon became clear that despite being a relatively small charity, the SDCS does an incredible
amount for a huge number of children and families on very limited resources, so my only future intention is to help the charity blossom and support the quest to support an ever-growing number of children who can benefit from what the charity provides. I only have to look at how confident Effie is both socially and academically to see the need for charities such as the SDCS.

I'm a relatively new member of the SDCS committee, joining in 2018.

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My son Ray was diagnosed with a severe sensori-neural hearing loss roughly a year after birth, and after wearing hearing aids for over two years with little progress, he was finally fitted with his first cochlear implant in May 2017. We started attending family group back in January 2015, and we rarely missed one up until Ray and his twin brother Jim left due to starting school in July 2018. It was one of the highlights of our week, as the support on offer, along with being able to connect with other parents of children with a hearing loss, while the boys played was invaluable. 

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Like other members on the committee, our whole family have been lucky enough to directly benefit from the work of SDCS, through family group, family nights, visits to Park Hall Farm and even a mom’s night out. For a relatively small charity, it helps fund some fantastic resources and events that make a real difference to so many children and families throughout our county. My aim as a committee member is to hopefully help the charity continue with its fantastic work.