Meet theBoard

Emma Allen
Emma Allen

Trustee & Joint Chair

Board member since 2017
Joint Chair since 2018

Emma is a parent of two Deaf young adults.

She is a seasoned professional with more than 10 years’ of senior management experience in B2B and B2C technology sectors at an international level.

Barry Ross
Barry Ross

Trustee & Joint Chair

Board member & Joint Chair since 2019
Former Chair of Deaf Direct and Board Member 2007-2019

Barry has two sons, one of whom is profoundly Deaf.

Throughout his career, Barry worked in sales and marketing environments, gaining an understanding of both disciplines. Barry has been a trustee for Deaf Direct for 12 years before the merger with Action Deafness.

Roland Hilton
Roland Hilton

Trustee & Vice-Chair

Board member since 2009

Roland recently retired, having spent the last 25 years as an engineering consultant for Interfleet in Derby. 

Roland is a former trustee of the National Association of Deafened People (NADP).

Ben Stephens
Ben Stephens

Trustee

Board member since 2013

Ben is a qualified architect with his own architecture business based in Rutland.

Alison Lewis
Alison Lewis

Trustee

Board member since 2015

Alison is profoundly Deaf and has significant experience in the areas of deafness, disability, discrimination & equality. She was also the first ‘Deaf’ person to qualify as an Audiologist in the NHS in England & Wales.

Helen Foulkes
Helen Foulkes

Trustee

Board member since 2017

Helen is a freelance consultant. As a qualified teacher and NRCPD-registered Sign Language Translator, she was previously Programme Manager in Family Sign Language for the National Deaf Children’s Society, where she worked for 10 years.

Lucy Warnes
Lucy Warnes

Trustee

Board member since 2018

Lucy has a strong background in fundraising and marketing management. Having worked for a range of voluntary organisations, including Sense, she is now at international development charity, Practical Action.

Audrey Whyte
Audrey Whyte

Trustee

Board Member since 2020
Former Trustee of Walsall Deaf Community Services 2019-2020

Former Specialist Employment Service Manager at Action on Hearing Loss Cymru (RNID) in Wales. Now works for NHS based in the Black Country for the Early Intervention Team.

Penelope Lenon
Penelope Lenon

Trustee

Board member since October 2019
Former Board Member at Oxford Deaf & Hard of Hearing Centre 2014-18 and at Deaf Direct 2018-19

Penelope was asked to join the board of the Oxford Deaf and Hard of Hearing Centre because of her financial background: she had spent most of her career working at the Bank of England.

William Stavert
William Stavert

Trustee

Board Member since 2019
Deaf Direct Trustee for 20 years 1999-2019

William was previously a Trustee of Deaf Direct, serving as the Chair for eleven years. He continues to work as a Freelance BSL Tutor and is based in Malvern, Worcestershire.

Andrew Freeman
Andrew Freeman

Trustee

Board Member since 2020
Former Trustee of Walsall Deaf Community Services 2019-2020

Andrew was previously a Trustee for Walsall Deaf Community Service, serving as the Chair from 2019 to 2020. He is Self Employed working in Building Construction and is based in Derbyshire.

Ross Grant

Trustee

Board Member since 2020
Former Trustee of of donaldson's Trust and Deaf Connections (Scotland)
Previously a Trustee of The Donaldson’s Trust and Deaf Connections (Scotland). He has had a varied career working for a range of voluntary organisations in a leadership capacity and now finds himself working for Royal Mail in Pontefract, Yorkshire.
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