1890's
The Royal Cross School for the Deaf and NELWAD are established in Preston.
At the centre of our work is an understanding of, and respect for, sign language, the Deaf community and Deaf culture.
We use an uppercase D in Deaf to refer to people who identify with Deaf culture and community, and a lowercase d in deaf to refer more broadly to hearing loss.
We recognise Deaf culture as a vibrant, living and international culture with much to teach the hearing world.
We see sign languages as full, rich and living languages, central to identity, learning and connection.
Challenge the barriers caused by a lack of recognition & understanding of Deaf culture and sign language.
Meet the leadership team and trustees guiding Deafway’s work, bringing together lived experience, professional expertise and a shared commitment to supporting Deaf people, their families and communities.
Chief Executive Officer
Deputy CEO / Finance Manager
Registered Manager
Human Resources Manager
Facilities Manager
Providing residential and rehabilitation care for D/deaf people with a range of mental health and physical disability needs.
Celebrating Deaf history, identity, language and community through cultural, heritage and creative projects.
Delivering BSL and Deaf Awareness training to help individuals, teams and organisations communicate more inclusively.
Creating inclusive D/deaf spaces where people can connect, communicate, share culture and feel a sense of belonging.
Deafway’s history can be traced back to two Preston-based organisations established in the 1890s: The Royal Cross School for the Deaf and The North and East Lancashire Welfare Association for the Deaf.
The Royal Cross School for the Deaf and NELWAD are established in Preston.
The two charities merge to form The Mary Cross Trust
The charity becomes Deafway, a name that better reflects who we are and what we do.
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Copyright 2026 All Rights Reserved. Registered Charity No: 1089918
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Trustee and Director
Trustee and Director
I am a retired solicitor and live in Broughton with my wife Helen. I have three children (including a hearing impaired daughter) and five small grandchildren. I have been a trustee at Deafway since 2011 and our late Queen awarded me an OBE in 2014 for charitable and voluntary work
I enjoy gardening, beekeeping and Preston North End
Trustee
Trustee
I am a Church of England priest in Ribbleton, Preston, where I have the joy of working alongside my husband Pete. I’m originally from Northern Ireland but I’ve lived in a number of different countries before being ordained and settling in Lancashire. My hobbies centre around craft and that’s what led me to Deafway. I started volunteering leading craft sessions for the residents which has resulted in some interesting yet fabulous creations. I have completed BSL Level 2 and am keen progress my studies further.
One of my passions is helping people achieve their potential and I want to support Deafway in this, because, according to our mission statement “Deafway’s primary aim is to achieve equal access and opportunities for people who are Deaf.”
Trustee and Director
Trustee and Director
I joined the Board of Trustee’s in June 2024, but I have been involved with Deafway for about 10 years, through my job at the Harris Museum. I have worked at the Harris Centre for 15 years as Access and Inclusion Officer and now Communities and Volunteers Officer. I have been working with different groups of people for about 25 years and I am passionate about equality and fairness.
I have worked with young people, male prisoners, Visually Impaired people, people with disabilities, adults with mental health issues, Deaf people and women’s support groups. I am a teacher of Art and Design and I have my level 2 BSL. I am also a trained Mental Health First Aider – I have lived experience of my own mental health issues. I was born in St. Annes but live in Preston. My family live in Blackpool. I like trees, the sea, exercise, music, art, people, honesty and having a laugh.
Trustee and Director
Trustee and Director
I was a teacher and assessor with over 30 years experience and has taught BSL linguistics and elements of the postgraduate BSL/English interpreting diploma at University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in Preston. I also taught on the BA BSL and Deaf Studies course. I gained my MA in Personal Experience Narratives in the Deaf community: Identifying Deaf-World Typicality, and have presented workshops on the subject. When working with CAVDP (now known as Signature), I created a national curriculum and BSL Homework video clips. I am also a qualified trainer of trainees and taught Deaf adults to become qualified BSL teachers.
I was previously Vice Chair on the British Deaf Association (BDA) trustees board. I want to give support to Deafway that enables residents to have a home.
Trustee and Director
Trustee and Director
Lynne developed the British Sign Language (BSL) and Deaf Studies course in 1993. She also helped to develop the university support service for deaf students. Lynne is Academic Team Lead for the disciplines of BSL & Deaf Studies, English Language and Linguistics and Religion, Culture & Society. Lynne’s teaching and scholarship focus on the education and pedagogy of deaf learners.
In recognition of her contribution to the relative new discipline of BSL & Deaf Studies and her work in the support of deaf students, Lynne was recognised as a National Teaching Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Trustee and Director
Trustee and Director
I joined the board of Trustees at the beginning of 2023. Having spent around 40 years working with, and for, Deaf people and their community I had missed the involvement after retiring. Becoming a Trustee seems an ideal way to use my free time and experience to participate in developing Deafway services to become nationally recognised as top class.
My previous background has been as a Social Worker/Senior Social Worker with Deaf People, a Principal Officer and Deputy Director with Deafway and, finally, established Co.Sign interpreting group with a colleague when our department closed.
Trustee and Director
Trustee and Director
Philippa worked in the charity sector in the UK and overseas for over 15 years. Started her career at Deafway before moving onto Deaf Child Worldwide (part of the National Deaf Children’s Society) and currently working with SignHealth as their Head of Communications. Deaf since birth, Philippa has a passion for effective communication and improving Deaf people’s lives across the country and worldwide.
Philippa joined the trustee team in 2022. She is also a chairperson of Children of Deaf Parents UK (CODPUk) to support Deaf parents across the UK.
Vice Chair
Vice Chair
I started work at NELWAD in Nov 1976 as office junior. NELWAD merged with The Royal Cross School for the Deaf in 1990 to become the Mary Cross Trust, later changing its name to Deafway. During my time at Deafway, I held a variety of positions from office junior, PA to the CEO, HR manager and finally CEO. I retired from Deafway after 44 years’ service.
I qualified as a BSL Interpreter via UCLAN during my time at Deafway. I became a Trustee to be able to continue supporting Deafway, our residents and the Deaf Community utilising the skills and knowledge gained over 44 years.
Chairperson
Chairperson
I have been associated with Deafway for more than 40 years, as a Trustee/Director and the last two years as Chair of the Board. I am extremely proud of what Deafway do and what we are aspiring to achieve.
Happily married for thirty-five years, I have two adult children and one brilliant grandson. I enjoy watching all sport, particularly Manchester City, live theatre, and hill walking.