My apologies, I have been very remiss because I have not shared a couple of key changes at the helm of CDA.
At our 2023 AGM we said thanked Roger Bingham who had been our President for many years, as he stepped down. We were delighted to have the opportunity to invite two of our long-standing supporters to step into the role of President and Vice President. So, without further ado, we introduce Norma Wilkinson as our President and, William Turner as our Vice President. To have two people who are steeped in CDA and deaf history bring a unique perspective to our organisation.
President: Norma Wilkinson
Norma lives in Carlisle with her husband Howard, both of whom are deaf. She brings with her a wealth of experience, both personal and professional, of the deaf community in Cumbria and further afield. A tireless campaigner for deaf rights.
She joined Carlisle Deaf Club in 1959 at the age of 18 and has been involved with both the British Deaf Association (BDA) and Cumbria Deaf Association (CDA) for many years. She became BDA’s Branch Secretary and Social Secretary for the Deaf Club in the 1980s.
In the late 2000s Norma was a Trustee on CDA’s Board, progressing to the position of Chair. A role she held until 2012.
Norma also taught BSL1 and BSL2 to members of the pubic and Schools in Carlisle from 1985 to 2001 and is remembered by participants to this date.
Vice President: William Turner
William became deaf (hard of hearing) aged 4, and from the age of 8 to 16 he attended Birkdale School at Southport, where he wore a hearing aid and was not allowed to communicate using sign language.
He left School in 1962, after which time he found it very difficult in the hearing world. In 1964 he met a deaf man (Ian Anderson) who invited him to join the Deaf Mountaineers Club. From that point onwards he has lived in the deaf world and has been able to learn and use BSL to communicate with deaf people in their first language.
William has been Chairman of Whitehaven Deaf Club; Vice Chairman for CDA; and a member of the Board of Trustees in the past.
He worked as a voluntary Support Worker for D/deaf children from age 4 to 11, then became a Youth Worker supporting children aged 11 – 25; he then worked within the Care Package Team at CDA for a number of years alongside Norma Wilkinson. Following this he held the post of Deaf Awareness and Introduction to Sign Language Tutor for 14 years with CDA, retiring in 2011. William has continued to support Cumbria Deaf Association voluntarily, working with both deaf and hard of hearing people in the County.
He would like to thank CDA and their members for nominating him for the role of Vice President.