When I was thirteen, my mum suddenly lost her hearing as a result of a medical blunder. My family was plunged into crisis. We had to cope with job loss and trauma; we had to learn how to communicate. That is how I became involved in the Deaf community.

I learnt British Sign Language (BSL) but the idea for Deaf Umbrella came during a career break. I knew I had the skills, commitment, and determination to make a difference.

I founded Deaf Umbrella in September 2000. As I developed my own qualifications, it also became clear to me how little help there was for people working or training in the field as Communication Support Workers (CSW). I knew that was something else I could change. Our training partnership with the University of Greenwich is a great example of this.

I am passionate about working with people who are Deaf, I enjoy highlighting talented Deaf people. I am very proud of award winning Deaf Umbrella and its wonderful employees, the work we do together and the difference we have made.