Penny Beschizza

Penny  Beschizza  is  a  parent  of  two  grown-up  children,  who  has  never forgotten  her  early  days  as  a  Deaf  mum.  She  has  worked  in  the  post-16 education  sector for over twenty years,  working  with  young  Deaf  people  from disadvantaged  backgrounds  and  additional  disabilities.  She also taught BSL and Deaf Awareness Training.  In  her  voluntary  role,  she  is  involved  with supporting  access  and equality  for  Deaf  TV  viewers  and  is  currently  on  the board of the British Sign Language  Broadcasting Trust. She is also in Signs of God,  a  BSL  training  organisation  that  promotes  high  quality  BSL  access  for Deaf  people  attending  church.  Penny is a versatile campaigner and advocate, believing in widening participation of Deaf people in society. She supports DPUK's work for this reason.

Martin Glover

A proud father of two children, Martin is a Deaf architect but previously experienced a stint of a mental health and deaf professional (Specialist Health Promotion).  Today he still advocates the mental health issues, co-organising Healthy Deaf Minds. He is a trustee of RAD and also a board member of Community ID.

Linda Day

Linda Day is currently a freelancer after leaving Bristol University in July 2010, where she worked there for 20 years. She was the first Deaf Centre Director at Bristol University for two years then moved onto become a BSL Director and graduated her MSc in mid 2000. Linda was born and bred in London but moved to Bristol when she got married.  She is a second generation deaf person in her family and she has two daughters, whom one is deaf. Linda’s grandson is also deaf so he is now the fourth generation in this family.  Linda is currently a chair for BDA’s SWDA and is one of the trustees for Deaf Studies Trust.

Pauline Latchem

Pauline Latchem is a Deaf parent. She and her husband Robin have two adult sons. When they were young Pauline was an active stay at home mum, having fun with children, whilst also somehow volunteering with Homestart and the National Childbirth Trust, being a playgroup leader, nursery and school assistant, school Parent Governor, and as a Woodcraft Folk Youth leader as well as finding time to campaigns with Shropshire Disability Consortium to set up an independent Interpreting Service for Shropshire. Pauline’s background work experience is in Youth and Community Work and Access issues, particularly in the fields of Mental Health and Learning Disabilities.  She is passionate about access and equality and a seasoned campaigner and advocate.  Pauline is now a freelance consultant and trainer and a practicing Humanistic Counsellor.

Simeon Hart

Simeon is profoundly Deaf and was brought up by his Deaf parents. In addition, he is the Deaf parent of two hearing boys, Zachary (ages 6) and Reuben (ages nearly 3). He enjoys playing with children due to his past experience when three friends asked him as their godfathers. He is married to a well-known performer, Denise Armstrong and now nearly 9 years together!

Simeon is a resourcing specialist, nearly 20 years experience including ten years within charity sector, four years in voluntary sector, five years in education sector from middle to senior management - involving in project management, event management, organisational development, recruitment, strategy, business development, fund raising, coaching and mentoring, process / system evaluation, design and improvement are areas that compliment my core experience.

Furthermore, he is an accomplished businessman with demonstrated ability to teach, motivate, and direct people while maintaining high interest and achievement. Articulate communicator able to effectively interact with diverse populations of people at a variety of business level and consistently maintain excellent relations with partners. What he achieved throughout his career through gained qualifications in Masters’ Degree in Social Enterprise, Certificate in Education and HND in Computer Studies, he always believe that Deaf parents can achieve their goals whatever they want to do for their living.

Clive Boswell

Clive Boswell, born in Taunton, Somerset in 1970 and now resides near Croydon.  He attended Burwood Park School between 1982 and 1987.  Married with 3 years old daughter and 2 years old son (13 months apart!).  Employed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office since 1996 and lived in Brussels and Washington DC for a few years.  Enjoys home and family life, spending time with my wife, two children and our two dogs.  Last June - Clive underwent surgery for cochlear implant and rehabilitation continues.

Marcel Hirshman

I am a deaf father with 3 hearing children (all under 5). As a self-employed trainer/presenter, I deliver deaf awareness training and sign language for various organisations. I enjoy doing the training as it raises awareness in all kind of communication and information to ensure positivity in attitude towards deaf people, families, and children. I am also a presenter running workshops for the Science Museum aiming at deaf children and families. Its always a pleasure to have deaf children understanding the stories and being able to communicate with their deaf or hearing parents and siblings. The utmost importance of everything is ensuring deaf parents get the same access to information anywhere and ensuring the deaf community continues to support each other.