Action for Deafness

Sue Benham
Resource Centre Assistant - Steyning
Volunteer Services Coordinator

Sue is Resource Centre Assistant based Steyning Health Centre on Thursday mornings and at our centre in Worthing on Fridays,  offering support, advice and demonstration of equipment to our patients on a drop-in basis. Sue also spends time at head office in Haywards Heath in her new role as Volunteer Services Coordinator. Sue also coordinates the use of our newly refurbished premises at 51 Rowlands Road, Worthing for local Deaf clubs or anyone looking to develop services for Deaf and hard of hearing people. 

Sue has personal experience of hearing loss.She started to wear a hearing aid when she was 28 years old when she was told by an audiologist that I was probably struggling too much to hear without one - that was a very shocking moment for her because she had always thought that hearing aids were for old people! She had lived in the hearing world all her life dealing with the continuing loss of her hearing, but she now feels the time is right to become more involved with the Deaf world and its culture. Sue successfully completed BSL level 1 and will proceed to level 2 this autumn. Sue relies on lip reading as well as her hearing aids.

Before joining Action for Deafness Sue had been retired for 11 years exploring and enjoying new hobbies and interests. She also took up voluntary work through RSCH and has been involved in the running of a drop-in clinic for NHS patients over in Peacehaven. In her working life before retirement, she owned and ran a property management company in Northern Ireland. When she decided that she wanted to return to work she looked around at the various organisations that had some role with Deaf/deaf issues and the Action for Deafness organisation just lit up a light for her. She was attracted by the bright and modern way the organisation was presented and how helpful everyone was when she was a client and she thought she would love to work for us.