Our Trustees Patron Baroness Jenny Randerson Educated at Bedford College, London University. Born in 1948. Previously, a Lecturer and Manager at Coleg Glan Hafren, Cardiff's Tertiary College. Also a former Cardiff Councillor and Leader of the Opposition on Cardiff County Council. She was a JP prior to election to the Assembly. She has extensive political experience in government at UK and Wales level. She was Health and Social Services; Equal Opportunities and Finance Spokeswoman during the Second Welsh Assembly. As a patron of Cardiff Deaf Centre she will be an excellent spokesperson for the centre and raise awareness of issues that Deaf people face every day. Her interests include the economy, environment, education and Europe. Chair Dafydd Eveleigh Dafydd joined the Board of Trustees in October 2016 and was elected Chair in June 2017. Currently a project manager in the civil service, Dafydd has worked in the Deaf community for several years, first as a BSL officer then as a Community Advocacy Officer. He is aware of the challenges that deaf and hard of hearing people face not only through personal experience but from working in the community. Vice Chair Edward Jenkins BEM Hearing, Edward was recognised on the 2017 Queens Honours list for his voluntary work going back 55 years. Edwards has a long track record of support the community in Dinas Powis where he lives and for supporting the Deaf Community in Cardiff and the surrounding area. Treasurer Sarah Smith Deaf, Sarah joined Cardiff Deaf Centre’s Board of Trustees at its inception in 2014 as a Treasurer and also as a Centre Manager. Secretary Fiona Nicholson Deaf, Fiona joined Cardiff Deaf Centre’s Board of Trustees in December 2016 as Secretary. She is a Director of Sarona Training and Consultancy Ltd and has worked in the Deaf community and British Sign Language for over 20 years as teacher, trainer, assessor, internal and external verifier. She is also a qualified English to BSL Translator with NRCPD registration and is involved in translating documents and TV programmes for a range of clients. Executive Trustees Miriam Grimshaw Miriam trained as an audiologist at Bristol University 2010-2014. She started learning BSL whilst working as an audiologist from 2014-2019. She now supports two Deaf students at Bridgend College in her role as a Communication Support Worker. She is studying her Level 6 BSL and hopes to become an interpreter in the future. She volunteers with Cardiff Deaf Creative Hands and with the Deaf Theatre Club at the Sherman Theatre. Stuart Parkinson Deaf, Stuart is a life long campaigner, advocating on behalf of the Deaf Community. Previously a Trustee of the BDA, he is now a Specialist Study Skills Tutor for the University of South Wales and is a Youth Worker with Cardiff County Council, a role he has been in for over twenty years. He has also been a BSL Teacher since 1997. Stuart is currently the Project Leader for Deaf Hub (Wales)’s Art Festival and facilitates meetings with the Cardiff County Council Equality Team, and in particular, was the Deaf community’s representative as Trustee of Deaf Hub (Wales) at Cardiff County Council’s signing of the BDA’s BSL Charter. Dr Rob Wilks Deaf, Rob has been a qualified solicitor since 2007 and specialises in employment and discrimination law. He is currently a Senior Lecturer in Legal Practice for the University of South Wales teaching on a range of undergraduate, postgraduate and professional courses, and is one of the supervisors in the Legal Advice Clinic. Rob was awarded his doctorate in 2020 by the University of Leicester examining the title: ‘Making equality law work for Deaf people.’ More information about his thesis can be found here. Rob is also responsible for the Deaf Law website which aims to provide accessible information about the law to d/Deaf people, and the Deaf Lawyers UK Facebook groupwhich aims to bring together d/Deaf solicitors, barristers, legal executives, paralegals and law students in the UK. Non-Executive Trustees Julie Doyle Julie is a Member of the Register of Sign Language Interpreters with NRCPD and a Full Member of The Association of Sign Language Interpreters (ASLI) UK. She has obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in BSL/English Interpreting from UCLAN. Julie has worked as a community freelance interpreter in Cardiff and South Wales for 20 years and has spent 2 of those years in New Zealand She has extensive experience in most interpreting settings including Glastonbury and at the Royal Albert Hall.She has interpreted also for the Welsh Deaf Rugby team over seven years and is proud to say she was part of the World Cup winning Squad. She currently teaches Interpreting on SignWorld’s iBSL Sign Language Interpreting diploma and is training to be an assessor. Julie is passionate about access to information and services for Deaf people, providing the conduit to open up dialogue between hearing and Deaf communities. She is the proud recipient of the Jackie Moore Memorial Award 2007 for her services to the Deaf Community, as voted by the South Wales Deaf Community. More importantly Julie is a native user of BSL having Deaf Parents; BSL is the language within her family home. She spent many of her formative years at Cardiff Deaf Club and considers it her ‘Cultural Home’ as her Deaf parents regularly attended social events at the club. Julie cares passionately about the Deaf community and the future of Cardiff Deaf Club. When finding time in between work and professional commitments Julie finds time to relax with her husband and family and going to the theatre.
Patron Baroness Jenny Randerson Educated at Bedford College, London University. Born in 1948. Previously, a Lecturer and Manager at Coleg Glan Hafren, Cardiff's Tertiary College. Also a former Cardiff Councillor and Leader of the Opposition on Cardiff County Council. She was a JP prior to election to the Assembly. She has extensive political experience in government at UK and Wales level. She was Health and Social Services; Equal Opportunities and Finance Spokeswoman during the Second Welsh Assembly. As a patron of Cardiff Deaf Centre she will be an excellent spokesperson for the centre and raise awareness of issues that Deaf people face every day. Her interests include the economy, environment, education and Europe. Chair Dafydd Eveleigh Dafydd joined the Board of Trustees in October 2016 and was elected Chair in June 2017. Currently a project manager in the civil service, Dafydd has worked in the Deaf community for several years, first as a BSL officer then as a Community Advocacy Officer. He is aware of the challenges that deaf and hard of hearing people face not only through personal experience but from working in the community. Vice Chair Edward Jenkins BEM Hearing, Edward was recognised on the 2017 Queens Honours list for his voluntary work going back 55 years. Edwards has a long track record of support the community in Dinas Powis where he lives and for supporting the Deaf Community in Cardiff and the surrounding area. Treasurer Sarah Smith Deaf, Sarah joined Cardiff Deaf Centre’s Board of Trustees at its inception in 2014 as a Treasurer and also as a Centre Manager. Secretary Fiona Nicholson Deaf, Fiona joined Cardiff Deaf Centre’s Board of Trustees in December 2016 as Secretary. She is a Director of Sarona Training and Consultancy Ltd and has worked in the Deaf community and British Sign Language for over 20 years as teacher, trainer, assessor, internal and external verifier. She is also a qualified English to BSL Translator with NRCPD registration and is involved in translating documents and TV programmes for a range of clients. Executive Trustees Miriam Grimshaw Miriam trained as an audiologist at Bristol University 2010-2014. She started learning BSL whilst working as an audiologist from 2014-2019. She now supports two Deaf students at Bridgend College in her role as a Communication Support Worker. She is studying her Level 6 BSL and hopes to become an interpreter in the future. She volunteers with Cardiff Deaf Creative Hands and with the Deaf Theatre Club at the Sherman Theatre. Stuart Parkinson Deaf, Stuart is a life long campaigner, advocating on behalf of the Deaf Community. Previously a Trustee of the BDA, he is now a Specialist Study Skills Tutor for the University of South Wales and is a Youth Worker with Cardiff County Council, a role he has been in for over twenty years. He has also been a BSL Teacher since 1997. Stuart is currently the Project Leader for Deaf Hub (Wales)’s Art Festival and facilitates meetings with the Cardiff County Council Equality Team, and in particular, was the Deaf community’s representative as Trustee of Deaf Hub (Wales) at Cardiff County Council’s signing of the BDA’s BSL Charter. Dr Rob Wilks Deaf, Rob has been a qualified solicitor since 2007 and specialises in employment and discrimination law. He is currently a Senior Lecturer in Legal Practice for the University of South Wales teaching on a range of undergraduate, postgraduate and professional courses, and is one of the supervisors in the Legal Advice Clinic. Rob was awarded his doctorate in 2020 by the University of Leicester examining the title: ‘Making equality law work for Deaf people.’ More information about his thesis can be found here. Rob is also responsible for the Deaf Law website which aims to provide accessible information about the law to d/Deaf people, and the Deaf Lawyers UK Facebook groupwhich aims to bring together d/Deaf solicitors, barristers, legal executives, paralegals and law students in the UK. Non-Executive Trustees Julie Doyle Julie is a Member of the Register of Sign Language Interpreters with NRCPD and a Full Member of The Association of Sign Language Interpreters (ASLI) UK. She has obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in BSL/English Interpreting from UCLAN. Julie has worked as a community freelance interpreter in Cardiff and South Wales for 20 years and has spent 2 of those years in New Zealand She has extensive experience in most interpreting settings including Glastonbury and at the Royal Albert Hall.She has interpreted also for the Welsh Deaf Rugby team over seven years and is proud to say she was part of the World Cup winning Squad. She currently teaches Interpreting on SignWorld’s iBSL Sign Language Interpreting diploma and is training to be an assessor. Julie is passionate about access to information and services for Deaf people, providing the conduit to open up dialogue between hearing and Deaf communities. She is the proud recipient of the Jackie Moore Memorial Award 2007 for her services to the Deaf Community, as voted by the South Wales Deaf Community. More importantly Julie is a native user of BSL having Deaf Parents; BSL is the language within her family home. She spent many of her formative years at Cardiff Deaf Club and considers it her ‘Cultural Home’ as her Deaf parents regularly attended social events at the club. Julie cares passionately about the Deaf community and the future of Cardiff Deaf Club. When finding time in between work and professional commitments Julie finds time to relax with her husband and family and going to the theatre.
Dafydd joined the Board of Trustees in October 2016 and was elected Chair in June 2017. Currently a project manager in the civil service, Dafydd has worked in the Deaf community for several years, first as a BSL officer then as a Community Advocacy Officer. He is aware of the challenges that deaf and hard of hearing people face not only through personal experience but from working in the community.
Hearing, Edward was recognised on the 2017 Queens Honours list for his voluntary work going back 55 years. Edwards has a long track record of support the community in Dinas Powis where he lives and for supporting the Deaf Community in Cardiff and the surrounding area.
Deaf, Fiona joined Cardiff Deaf Centre’s Board of Trustees in December 2016 as Secretary. She is a Director of Sarona Training and Consultancy Ltd and has worked in the Deaf community and British Sign Language for over 20 years as teacher, trainer, assessor, internal and external verifier. She is also a qualified English to BSL Translator with NRCPD registration and is involved in translating documents and TV programmes for a range of clients.
Julie is a Member of the Register of Sign Language Interpreters with NRCPD and a Full Member of The Association of Sign Language Interpreters (ASLI) UK. She has obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in BSL/English Interpreting from UCLAN. Julie has worked as a community freelance interpreter in Cardiff and South Wales for 20 years and has spent 2 of those years in New Zealand She has extensive experience in most interpreting settings including Glastonbury and at the Royal Albert Hall.She has interpreted also for the Welsh Deaf Rugby team over seven years and is proud to say she was part of the World Cup winning Squad. She currently teaches Interpreting on SignWorld’s iBSL Sign Language Interpreting diploma and is training to be an assessor. Julie is passionate about access to information and services for Deaf people, providing the conduit to open up dialogue between hearing and Deaf communities. She is the proud recipient of the Jackie Moore Memorial Award 2007 for her services to the Deaf Community, as voted by the South Wales Deaf Community. More importantly Julie is a native user of BSL having Deaf Parents; BSL is the language within her family home. She spent many of her formative years at Cardiff Deaf Club and considers it her ‘Cultural Home’ as her Deaf parents regularly attended social events at the club. Julie cares passionately about the Deaf community and the future of Cardiff Deaf Club. When finding time in between work and professional commitments Julie finds time to relax with her husband and family and going to the theatre.