Rick Cotton - Chairman/Hearing Support Volunteer

Rick’s involvement with the Deaf Association came as a result of attending Lip-reading classes. Rick was nominated to represent Lip-reading classes on the Deaf Association’s committee. He was taught as a young child to lip-read. Rick completed his Level 1 British Sign Language, OCN Intermediate and his Level 2 British Sign Language courses. Rick wears hearing aids in both ears and is also a Hearing Support Service Volunteer. Rick finds it very rewarding to help others and to give something back to the community. The committee members are a great team of people to work with.

Rick Cotton

Amanda Kenny - Treasurer

Prior to 1999 Amanda had never been involved with deaf people.
It was not until Amanda’s second child Oliver was 16 months old that she discovered he was profoundly deaf. This started the family on a steep learning curve and with all their new found information gathered they decided Oliver should use sign language as his method of communication.
Amanda quickly enrolled on her Stage 1 British Sign Language course and 3 years later was proud to pass her Stage 2 British Sign Language exam.
Along with being treasurer of WNDA and treasurer of WNDCS she is also an active member of the Norfolk Deaf Children’s Society.

Amanda Kenny

Ian was born into a family with a history of deafness, but with many hearing family members. It wasn't until he was in his mid-20's that he first noticed he was going deaf, by which time he was married with a young family. His hearing has been deteriorating ever since but with the use of hearing aids this allowed him to pursue an active career in Research & Development, with long periods in the USA and France. He retired to Kings Lynn, joined a local lip-reading class and subsequently volunteered for the West Norfolk Hearing Support Service. He was co-opted as a committee member for the WNDA in April 2004.

Ian King

Carrie's involvement with the Deaf Association started when she joined the Lip-reading class held at the Deaf Centre. Although Carrie doesn't have a hearing loss her husband wears two aids and because of this she thought it would make sense to become aware of the needs of deaf people.
Carrie has completed a Level 1 British Sign Language and OCN intermediate course. Her involvement with these classes fuelled an interest in deaf issues and as a result Carrie joined the Deaf Association’s committee, which she is happy to be a part of. She also attends the BSL Conversational Group for hearing and profoundly deaf people. Carrie hopes to work with deaf people in the future and is extremely grateful to everyone at the West Norfolk Deaf Association.

Carrie Cotton

Charlie Coates

Margaret Tate - Committee Member/Hearing Support Volunteer

Margaret’s hearing was affected by measles around the age of five but she did not wear a hearing aid until she was sixteen. Her hearing has deteriorated further over the years.
Margaret, therefore, has always been interested in deaf issues and decided to make positive use of her deafness by becoming involved with West Norfolk Deaf Children’s Society (WNDCS), which led her on to West Norfolk Deaf Association (WNDA) and learning British Sign Language (BSL).
She has recently stepped down after about 10 years as Chairman of WNDA, but remains a committee member and a Hearing Support Volunteer.
As a member of committees of other organisations, she can bring a deaf person’s point of view to different situations. She feels strongly that only a deaf person can really understand another deaf person’s needs.

Margaret Tate

Joy Corkill - Committee Member

Joy was born profoundly deaf and has devoted her time over the last 48 years to supporting the deaf club in Kings Lynn. Joy is disappointed that young deaf people do not attend deaf club, but is encouraged by the fact that young deaf people interact with hearing people in schools and university. Joy was Chairperson of the Deaf Club for many years and has always enjoyed helping with the Deaf Club.

Joy Corkill

In September 2003 Mary trained as a Hearing Support Volunteer for the West Norfolk Hearing Support Service. Her contact with the Deaf Association came whilst attending Lip-reading classes with Adult Education. Mary knows from her own experience as a hearing aid wearer how difficult it is to get used to wearing a hearing aid and is keen to help people overcome their difficulties. Mary is a retired primary school teacher and is a trained Lip-reading Tutor. Mary joined the Management Committee in April 2004.

Mary Lancefield