HearFirst UK - Deaf and Disability Awareness Training and Consultancy

The HearFirst Team

Julie Ryder (Managing Director)

‘Julie is energetic, enthusiastic and committed to making real changes for real people.’

Julie founded HearFirst in 2002 after becoming deaf herself in her 20’s She understands that service providers need increased skills and knowledge to provide good levels of customer service to deaf and disabled people. Her positive enthusiastic attitude will truly motivate and inspire you to wanting to learn more.

Matthew Ryder (Managing Director)

'Matt is efficient! The office is well managed.’

Matt is Julie’s husband as well as business partner. He joined HearFirst in 2004 having previously worked as Commercial Manager for a large engineering company. His experience of living with a deafened person coupled with his business experience makes him an ideal manager to develop HearFirst into a major training provider.

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Kate Brierley BA (Hons), PGCE

Kate is keen to share her language and Culture with you.

Kate is a tutor in Deaf issues and British Sign Language. Kate has much to offer and far to go with her enthusiasm and engaging teaching style. Kate has been Deaf all her life and is a British Sign Language user, which not only gives her an excellent working knowledge of Sign Language and Deaf cultural issues, but also how to communicate this to anyone who is interested in learning BSL.

Debi Burridge BA

‘Debi is an effective tutor with a huge bank of practical ideas to share with others’

Debi is a qualified a lipreading tutor. After 10 years of working with deaf people and 20 years of marriage to her deaf husband, Debi is deeply committed to the advancement of communication between deaf and hearing people. She is an experienced HearFirst tutor and communicates well with all levels of staff and managers.

Jayne Brierley

Jayne is lively, fun and professional!

Jayne’s area of expertise lies with delivering deaf awareness and British Sign Language courses for the childcare workforce. Jayne has over 20 years experience signing at all levels (she has a Deaf daughter) and is guaranteed to make every learning session thought provoking, inspiring and a lot of fun besides! She also teaches baby signing for our sister company TalkFirst

Ayesha (Ash) B Gavin BA (Hons), PGCE

‘Ash is inspiring, her style of course delivery is interesting and engaging.’

Ash has been a tutor with HearFirst since 2003. Many of the current courses we run have been researched, developed and written by Ash. She was recently was appointed Training Manager, however following the birth of her daughter she has scaled down her HearFirst work. If you are lucky enough to have her tutor your course you are in for a real treat. Working tirelessly to improve access for deaf and disabled people, Ash has a great deal of knowledge to share with you.

Mickey Fellowes BA MA

‘Mickey delivers his obvious knowledge in a way which leaves you waiting for more.’

Mickey has extensive experience of working with disabled people through devising, fundraising, developing, teaching and managing many successful programmes of Arts Training courses at Higher Education and Further Education level. He is deaf himself and is passionate about promoting the Social Model to non-disabled people.

Geraldine Marsden

Geraldine makes learning BSL the best thing you’ve ever done!

Geraldine is deaf and has been teaching BSL for 25 years. Along with her husband Brian, they are active members of the Deaf Community in and around Manchester. Geraldine teaches longer courses for HearFirst and usually has a number of CACDP Level 1 courses on the go. She has an enviable pass rate.

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Derek Weston

Diversity and Equality like you never had it before!

Derek is a very experienced and highly regarded tutor in Diversity and Equality. He has a wealth of information to share with you and puts across his knowledge in a refreshing, easy to digest style. Derek’s particular passion is ensuring equality within the NHS and has been responsible for developing and writing Single Equality Schemes in a number of NHS Authorities.

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Michael Collins

Michael adds an important ingredient to the courses – real life!

Michael is our ‘Guest Speaker’ on both the Sensory Awareness Courses and Deafblind Courses. His personal experience of being born deaf and then losing his sight adds depth and understanding for the course participants of the barriers people face in accessing information and services. Michael communicates using ‘hands on signing’. His relaxed down to earth approach instantly captivates his audience and challenges stereotypes.

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Judith Kidd

Judith is enthusiastic, fun, professional, and keen to share her language and Deaf culture.

She is experienced in teaching Deaf & Deafblind Awareness and British Sign Language and has been doing this many years, providing a good deaf model. She was born profoundly deaf, and her first language is British Sign Language. Judith's parents were both deaf.