We’re delighted to be supporting a new Foundation for young deaf people, established in memory of a colleague’s loved one.
Geoff Yale is our tendering consultant and sadly lost his wife Pamela to cancer earlier this year.
Pam was a wonderful teacher of the deaf for many years and, in her honour, Geoff and his daughters set up The Pam Yale Young Deaf Foundation, based in Preston, Lancashire.
Geoff explains: “Pam was passionate about the value of the outdoors in early years education and had identified barriers to this provision for hearing-impaired children.
“With the Foundation in her name, we want to support deaf children in accessing educational trips and help fund British Sign Language (BSL) courses for support staff.
“Additional support is often needed on outdoor trips, which understandably has cost implications. We hope to offer financial support to families that may be affected by these extra costs.
“Pam believed that having more people able to communicate using BSL would help reduce communication barriers in settings such as nurseries and outdoor activity centres. It would also increase children’s ability to learn through experience, rather than only in the classroom.
“Our ongoing aim is to help more people working in Early Years learn BSL, so that children don’t miss out on fundamental childhood experiences.”
We have committed to helping get the charity’s message out and has pledged £500 to support Geoff with his upcoming fundraiser ‘The Seven Lakes Challenge’ which will see him hiking parts of the Lake District for seven consecutive days, joined by some of Pam’s friends and colleagues.
Ben Ashworth, Managing Director at Alben, explains: “What Pam’s family is doing with this Foundation is a fantastic way to honour her memory and will have a real positive impact on the lives of young, deaf people.
“She was evidently very passionate about making outdoor experiences more accessible to hearing-impaired children, and it’s wonderful to see Geoff, Harriet and Elizabeth taking up that mantle and continuing her hard work.
“We wish them all the best and will support them with the www.thepamyaleyoungdeaffoundation.com however we can.”
Find out more and donate to the charity via the website or facebook page.
Picture caption from left to right: Pam, her son-in-law Dan, her daughter Lizzy, her daughter Harriet and husband Geoff
