Guernsey Deaf Children’s Society was formed in 1979 by a group of parents, teachers of the deaf and interested people.
The Society was set up with the main aim of helping hearing impaired children and their families, both socially and educationally.
The Society is affiliated to the NDCS, but all funds raised stay in the island to be used for the benefit of our children and their families.
The Society is run by a small committee of people, elected each year at the AGM, which covers parents, the teaching and medical professions and other interested people.
The committee meet about every six weeks to discuss various problems, fund allocations and to organise social events.
I have a hearing loss and remember attending a few of the GDCS events with my sister when I was a child. When my own children also inherited the hearing loss I started attending some of the events with them. I soon joined the committee in 2013 becoming treasurer in 2014 taking on the role as chairperson in 2017.
My husband has a hearing loss and remembers attending some GDCS events as a child and when we discovered our son has the same hearing loss, I realised that hearing loss was always going to be a part of my life. We started to attend GDCS events approximately 4 years ago and were warmly welcomed by adults and children alike and I strongly believe that already being involved in the charity really helped my son when he needed his first hearing aid we. I joined the committee in 2019 and took on the role of Secretary in 2020.
Born and raised in Guernsey with a bilateral hearing loss, I grew up with the charity. In my early days the GDCS helped me in many ways from social events with other deaf children, hearing equipment, school equipment and much more; so I wanted to return the favour and see that the next generation carries on receiving everything I had and more. Thank you GDCS!
I joined the GDCS in 1995, when our son was diagnosed with a mod/severe hearing loss, and have served on the committee ever since mostly in the role of Honorary Secretary. Over the years we have organised many trips and outings, and have purchased much needed equipment to help the children in their every day lives. It has always been a pleasure to meet the families and the professionals who work with the children and I hope to stay on the committee for many years to come.
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Having seen the enjoyment and benefit my three hearing impaired children and others were getting from the events organised by the Guernsey Deaf Children's Society, I was keen to get involved with the running of the committee, and joined in 2017.
After finding out about my sons hearing impairment when he was 18 months old we were thrown into a world of uncertainty. My husband and I were told about the GDCS and found an amazing group who supported us as parents and our son. He got to meet and be a part of a community who understood his needs. Now it’s my turn to give something back to such a wonderful charity.
