Our Board of Trustees, of which 40% are registered blind, with one having hearing loss too, are highly skilled and bring a wide range of experience and enthusiasm to SRSB and RSS. They are all actively involved in the society aside from their duties as Trustees.
Mr R. Frost, Chairman
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Richard Frost joined the Board as a Trustee in 2016, and became Chairman in 2021. Richard was a former Hawsons Chartered Accountants' managing partner and was responsible for a wide range of commercial audit clients and family businesses. He began his career with one of the major international firms, working initially in Sheffield and then in the USA. He has been a trustee of a number of local charities and a past president of Sheffield Chamber of Commerce.
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Mr S. Blacksell
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Stephen joined our Trustees in 2014.
Stephen is a Partner at DLA Piper UK LLP. He moved to Sheffield from London in 1995 and joined Dibb Lupton Broomhead, the firm now known as DLA Piper, which has evolved into one of the largest law firms in the world. He became a partner there in 2000 and specialises in Real Estate. Stephen acted for the Society in the successful redevelopment of the Society's Mappin Street premises and became interested in the work of the Society in the course of that transaction. He became a Trustee in 2014. Stephen is a keen sportsman and Captains the Yorkshire County over 50's squash team. He lives with his wife, two daughters and son at Hunters Bar.
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Mr S. Hambleton
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Steve joined the Board in 2023, a year after retiring as General Manager of SRSB and RSS at the end of 2021.
He began working for our charity at our old centre on Mappin Street back in 2000, developing the charity, overseeing several challenging projects such as the rebuild of the centre, the updating of Cairn Home care home in Crosspool and the financial crash in 2008. He also took the step to open a new centre in Rotherham to provide services for people with sight and/or hearing loss, and of course, more recently navigating our charity through the challenges of Covid all whilst maintaining a sustainable service. He was instrumental in building relationships, and ensured that SRSB remained a relevant, important and valued part of the Sheffield community. Steve made a difference to the organisation and to the lives of our clients, working tirelessly to develop the very best services for visually impaired people, he has always fought their corner and championed their rights. So he brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role of Trustee.
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Mr E. Hill
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Euin Hill joined the Board in 2008, shortly after retiring from a career of 35 years in the Civil Service. Registered blind when he was 17 years old, Euin went into full-time education and has a degree in Psychology, and an HND in Business Studies. He has worked in rehabilitation centres, careers guidance, staff training, computer systems, health and safety, and a wide range of national network developments in close liaison with government ministers and industry.
He was the Chair of the Department of Education’s Disability Group for many years, helping to improve equality of opportunity at work. He has just joined the ‘Blind Bowlers’, plays competitively with the England & Wales Blind Golf Association, and would like to develop opportunities for blind golfers locally.
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Ms K Hulse
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Katrina Hulse joined our Trustees in 2014.
Katrina is a Senior Associate at Peacock and Smith. She was previously Director of the Sheffield and Leeds offices of a national planning consultancy. Katrina is also qualified as a barrister and was called to the Bar in November 2015.
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Ms Daljit Kaur CMgr FCMI
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Daljit joined our board as Trustee in 2022. She is an Assistant Professor at Coventry University.
Having worked in the diverse sectors; public, private, third sector and higher education for over 20 years, she has developed a wealth of experience in teaching, assessment and development relating to the areas of leadership, equalities, community/social cohesion, change management and human resource management. She actively campaigns to raise awareness around the needs of women and children that have no recourse to public funds. She is the Chair of Ashiana, which supports Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and Refugee (BAMER) women and children from all over the country and recently arrived from all the world, fleeing domestic and sexual abuse within a range of multiple perpetrator systems. She specialises in equality and diversity with a focus on neuro-diversity and inclusion with a focus on leadership, change management and gender diversity.
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Mr Robert Nolan
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Robert joined the SRSB board as Trustee in November 2020, after previously being an Ambassador for our charity.
Robert was elected as the first Chair of Deafblind Scotland in 2001 until 2019. He is also Deafblind UK Chair. He enjoyed a successful 35 year career with Shell Exploration and Production, latterly in Scotland as their European Subsurface and Wells Support Manager.
He lives with type 2 Usher Syndrome, was born with a 70% hearing loss, and has now lost over 97% of his sight but he remains committed to making the most of his life and is very grateful for what he has.
Robert and his wife Louise are now happily settled in the countryside just outside Sheffield, and he became involved with SRSB in 2018. He is rediscovering the joys of walking in the Peaks after joining the Sheffield Visually Impaired Walking Group (SVIWG). As well as enabling blind and deafblind people to explore the countryside around Sheffield safely and in numbers, this unique walking group is a great way of making new friends and discovering new places to go for a coffee!
Robert has talked about his journey at many of our events and inspires everyone with his positive approach to life.
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Mrs C. Pattison
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Catherine Pattison joined the SRSB Board in March 2013. Originally from Sheffield, Catherine has a degree in Business Studies from Birmingham and a post graduate qualification in Internal Communications. After graduating she returned to Sheffield and joined Freemans for three years working in internal communications. She then joined the insurance business of The Royal Bank of Scotland in Leeds for 10 years working mainly in employee communications including employee opinion surveys, events and change communications. She is married and in between looking after her three young children does some freelance work and enjoys walking and cooking in her spare time.
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Mr G Smith
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Gary Smith joined as a Trustee in 2023 and is a Deputy Headteacher. Having studied at The University of Hull and undertaking a PGCE at the University of Sheffield, Gary has taught within secondary schools for over 25 years and now works at a Sheffield school. He is a keen sportsperson and walker and will often either be on a squash court or in the Peak District in his spare time.
Gary and his family have been involved with SRSB since 2008 as a result of his son's visual impairment and throughout this time SRSB has offered targetted support, advice, guidance and activities for them all.
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Mr N. Wragg, OBE
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Norman originally trained as a research scientist but at the age of 21 he was blinded in a university laboratory chemical explosion. He went on to have a long career with the Health and Safety Executive, initially as a technical editor/writer but later becoming a research manager and head of human resources. In 1990, he was awarded an OBE for his work.
Norman retired in 2000 and undertook some voluntary work, including a seven year spell in the Hallamshire Hospital Ophthalmic Department, giving information and advice to people newly registered as blind or partially sighted. He joined the SRSB Board of Trustees in 2001.
Norman enjoys playing chess and is Chairman of the UK Braille Chess Association. He has represented the UK on several occasions in international chess tournaments for visually impaired players.
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