We at RNID are very pleased to announce the appointment of two new members of our Board of Trustees: the Rt Hon Chloe Smith and Jessica Rasmussen.
Our Board is right at the heart of how we operate as an organisation. It’s there to make sure that we are sticking to our purpose as a charity, setting our direction and our strategy. The experience, skill and motivation that Chloe and Jessica will bring with them will help strengthen our work and ensure we are delivering the biggest possible impact for the 18m people we’re here to support.
We also want to say a huge thank you to three outstanding trustees who have stepped down from the Board at the same time, having completed two terms of office as trustees over the last six years. Lindsay Foster, Gideon Hoffman and Claire Bailey have had a hugely positive impact on RNID over that time, and we all owe them a big debt of gratitude. They have navigated RNID through major change and a global pandemic, and have played a huge role in setting our new strategy.
Chloe said:
“I am really thrilled to join RNID. I’ve already enjoyed getting to know staff and volunteers, and seeing the impact of what we do for millions of people across the country. I want to use my experience of deafness through family and friends, and my professional experience working with the Deaf community, to keep on making a difference where it’s needed.”
Jessica said:
“I am delighted to be joining RNID who’s mission aligns perfectly with my own personal experience and professional values. We live in exciting times with accelerating technology, destigmatising of conversations and a generational shift which actively promotes acceptance and understanding. In my mind, RNID provides the perfect platform and I very excited to support the team as they transform the lives of the many millions of people in the UK living with some form of hearing loss.”
These changes to our Board come as we continue to work to end the discrimination faced by people who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus, help people prioritise hearing health, ensure our communities have equal access to rewarding employment and find the first life-changing treatments to restore hearing and silence tinnitus.
Chloe and Jessica were both selected for the Board through a trustee-led interview process, and their appointment was approved by the RNID membership in a ballot in June.