The High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire, Francis Burkitt DL, visited Cambridgeshire Deaf Association’s Huntingdon office on Thursday 17 September 2026 and presented High Sheriff’s Certificates of Appreciation to three of our volunteers: Kevin Hingle, Linda Gilling and Faye Axcell.
The office was full of staff and volunteers for the day. The High Sheriff met the team, heard from each person about the work they do, and talked about the role of the High Sheriff, an appointment made by the King each year that goes back more than a thousand years. He then spent time with our Chief Executive, Andrew Palmer, talking about what deaf and hard of hearing people in the county need and the pressures facing local charities. A British Sign Language interpreter worked throughout the visit.
The three volunteers
Each certificate recognises “dedicated and valuable service to the community”. Here is some of what was said about the three people who received one.
Kevin Hingle, Befriending. Kevin has volunteered with CDA for four and a half years and has given 241 hours of his time. He first met us at a deaf community event in Peterborough, where he had come looking for information about cochlear implants. That led to him joining our BSL Volunteer Course and getting involved with England Deaf Golf, bringing together his love of golf and his support for the deaf community. Kevin befriends and supports people who may be lonely or unwell, and helps them get to social activities, community events and appointments. He does it all with a smile and a great sense of humour, and people feel comfortable and valued around him.
Linda Gilling, Hearing Help. Linda has volunteered with our Hearing Help service since March 2024, maintaining NHS hearing aids at our drop-in sessions. She regularly steps in at other sessions when we are short of volunteers and can always be relied on when extra help is needed. Her support goes well beyond the role. She has taken one of our older volunteers under her wing, giving him lifts to drop-in sessions and checking in on him regularly. Linda also volunteers at her local church café, crochets postbox toppers for her village and makes handmade poppies for CDA around Remembrance. She does not look for recognition. She sees where somebody needs help and gets on with helping them.
Faye Axcell, Befriending. Faye has volunteered with CDA for one year and three months and has given 118 hours. Since completing our BSL Volunteer Course she has supported deaf and deafblind people across the area, helping them get to activities, appointments and community events, try new things and stay connected. Faye is a great listener, open-minded and always willing to go the extra mile, and her strong deaf awareness means she communicates well with the people she supports. Her patience has made a real difference to their confidence, independence and wellbeing.
What the High Sheriff said
Speaking on camera at the end of the visit, Francis Burkitt said:
“I’ve met a dozen of the happiest, cheeriest, most smiling people that I’ve come across, with this fantastic work that the Cambridgeshire Deaf Association does. This county depends not only on our charities, not only on our amazing charitable staff, but on our volunteers. Wonderful volunteers. And there’s an army of them helping the Cambridgeshire Deaf Association.”
Andrew Palmer, Chief Executive of Cambridgeshire Deaf Association, said:
“It was an amazing visit and everyone really enjoyed it, especially our volunteers, who were recognised for the brilliant work they do. It’s really important that Cambridgeshire Deaf Association shows how much value we place on our volunteers, who do such amazing work across Cambridgeshire. They all have their own stories and their own things going on in their lives, and they still give their time to support Cambridgeshire Deaf Association and the people we work with. They’re great people. There were lots of staff and volunteers in the office for the day and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you to Francis for the visit, and from me, thank you to our volunteers.”
Could you volunteer?
Our Befriending and Hearing Help services are always glad to hear from new volunteers. You do not need any experience, and you do not need to sign. Find out more on our volunteering page or email info@cambsdeaf.org.
You can read more about the High Sheriff and his role in our earlier story about the visit.
