Our Team
We take great pride in our dedicated team of trustees and staff who work tirelessly to support our deaf community. Our team is composed of passionate individuals, each bringing their unique skills and expertise to ensure we deliver the best services possible.
Board of Trustees
Our trustees are all deaf or hard of hearing. They bring valuable lived experience, from personal experience of deafness to supporting deaf children and breaking communication barriers. Their skills span social work, community engagement, marketing, event planning, and leadership, enabling us to effectively meet the diverse needs of our community.
Catherine Wright
Founder & Chair of Trustees
Catherine has been involved with Deaf Access Bedford for 17 years and is passionate about ensuring Deaf people in Bedford have access to support, social opportunities and a strong sense of community. She is proud to have helped the charity grow and develop its own Deaf Space.
Catherine has also worked with Action Deafness for six years, supporting Deaf clients. She is committed to reducing isolation, improving access and ensuring Deaf people and their families feel supported and connected within the community.
Claire Jones
Trustee
Claire is profoundly Deaf and has over 30 years of social care experience, including roles as a Deputy Manager in Children’s Services. After stepping down due to work commitments, she returned as a DAB trustee in 2022 following her retirement.
Claire is passionate about reopening a local Deaf club, broadening basic BSL and Deaf awareness training, and ensuring better everyday communication access through in-person interpreters and Video Relay Services (VRS).
DiLugh Yates
Community Engagement Trustee
DiLugh is Deaf and brings extensive experience in community support across voluntary roles, the NHS, and self-employment. A regular Deaf Access Bedford attendee since 2024, they are dedicated to improving accessibility.
As a wheelchair user, assistance dog handler, and advocate within the LGBTQIA+ and Pagan communities, DiLugh draws on lived experience to bring people together, break down barriers, and heighten awareness of Deaf experiences.
Lissy Malt
Trustee
Lissy is hard of hearing and has been involved with Deaf Access Bedford for several years before stepping into her trustee role. As the Programmer and Resources Manager at The Place Bedford, she brings valuable expertise in charity administration, arts programming, and education.
Lissy uses her background in community engagement to help DAB expand its activities, services, and inclusion efforts for local Deaf and hard of hearing people.
Our Staff
We currently have a team of four, paid, part time staff, who support and are supported by a team of freelancers and volunteers. If you're interested in volunteering for us, get in touch at info@accessbedford.org.uk.
Communication and Operations Officer
Tammy Thwaites
Tammy volunteered with Deaf Access Bedfordshire for over a year before joining the team in a paid role. Her background as a Communication Support Worker sparked her passion for supporting the Deaf community, and she is currently working toward her Level 3 BSL qualification.
Alongside assisting with DAB's day-to-day operations and growth, Tammy works to raise awareness of BSL so it is valued, understood, and taught more widely.
Administrative Asistant
Krishna Gotham
Krishna is a secondary school teacher who has achieved Level 3 BSL. She has a genuine love for BSL and Deaf culture, and enjoys connecting with the local community.
Having attended Deaf Access Bedford events for three years and encouraged her own children to learn the language, Krishna brings valuable educational experience to help improve access and inclusion for Deaf children and raise BSL awareness from an early age.