Who’s who

Michael More-Molyneux has been the President of Sensory Services by Sight for Surrey and HM Lord Lieutenant of Surrey since 2015. Over the years Michael More-Molyneux has built links with many organisations and businesses in Surrey. Since his appointment as Lord-Lieutenant he has become involved with an increasing number of charities and many good causes across the county, he considers this a very important part of his role.

Acting legend and star of the screen, Dame Judi Dench became Patron of Sensory Service by Sight for Surrey in 2022. Dame Judi lives with an eye condition, Macular Degeneration, and knows first-hand how losing your sight can make even the most simplest tasks a challenge. “The work that this charity does in getting people set up and adjusted to life with a sensory loss is amazing and I am honoured to be their Patron.”

Christine has been on the Board of Trustees at Sensory Services by since March 2017 and was appointed Chair on 21st September 2022. She brings a wealth of experience in Marketing, Fundraising and Business Development having worked for consumer goods giant, Proctor & Gamble. Christine started with Sensory Services by Sight for Surrey as a volunteer, primarily involved in fundraising. She chaired the fundraising committee from 2017 – 2023. One of Christine’s brothers lost his eyesight as a result of an accident, so knows how crucial the help and support the charity provides to service users, and their families.

Christine lives in Surrey with her husband Steve.

Beth Halliday joined the board of Trustees in September 2022 and is looking forward to working with Sight for Surrey and supporting the wonderful work they do.

Her youngest of three children was diagnosed with an Optic Glioma when she was three years old resulting in lots of hospital trips and a severe vision impairment. Now nearly 17 years old, she has hugely benefitted from the emotional support, peer to peer opportunities, habilitation and mobility training provided by Sight for Surrey‘s Children & Young People Services (CYPS) team.

Beth has worked in the music industry for nearly 30 years in various capacities and also enjoys volunteering with Zero Carbon Guildford at the weekends. She is looking forward to joining the Services Committee and bringing her experiences as a parent carer to Sight for Surrey. 

Ben has ten years of business experience. He first started off as a management consultant with KPMG and then PwC. Most recently, Ben worked as an executive at a rapidly growing financial services business. He has joined Sight for Surrey as a Trustee to use his commercial and financial expertise to help support the charity build on its foundation of success for the future.

Ben is a chartered management accountant and has an MBA from Harvard Business School. He lives with his partner in Surrey; in his spare time, he enjoys playing squash, reading, and trying to do DIY.

David joined as a Trustee in September 2022 having been a service user for a number of years. He started chairing the Fundraising Committee in September 2023.  David is partially sighted as a result of a childhood illness and uses assistive technology. He has spent over 25 years working in retail banking and technology companies and is married to Cathy with three young children and lives in Surrey.

During the late 1980s, the late Mary Guest MBE set up a new group for Deaf people with RP and linked it to Usher Syndrome. There are different types of Usher Syndrome. Russell has Syndrome Type 1.

Russell studied Horticulture at a college in Hampshire, after which he entered full-time employment as a Science Gardener at Whitgift School, an independent school in Croydon. Sadly, he was made redundant after nearly 30 years service but the Whitgift Foundation agreed to accept his early retirement.

How did Russell become involved with Sight for Surrey?

Since being registered blind in 1987, Russell has been an active member of Sense and Sight for Surrey. An active artist, his well-known cartoon character is ‘Fred the Usher’. The very loveable hedgehog was created in 1990 when Sense asked him to design some Christmas cards. Fred the Usher still appears on Christmas cards today.

Russell is married to Anne. She was also diagnosed with Ushers; although she has had a cochlear implant. They live in Warlingham, where Russell enjoys gardening, local history, genealogy, antiques and visiting historic places like the National Trust. He even finds time to go to the gym!

Penny lives in Surrey and was born in Cuckfield, Sussex and attended Mill Hall School (Oral). Usher since birth her sight hasn’t significantly deteriorated since and remains fairly stable.

She qualified with a Diploma in Deaf Studies in 1995 from Bristol University and went on to be the Coordinator at the Sign Language section of Hampshire Deaf Association supporting all the teachers who delivered British Sign Language (BSL) training and C & G training.

After being made redundant from Farnborough College where she taught, Penny decided in 2007 to set up her own Training Centre and Sign for Thoughts was born. Her core belief that it was vital to continue teaching BSL for the Deaf/ deafblind and hearing communities across Hampshire, Surrey, Berkshire and further afield.

Sign for Thoughts delivers BSL courses levels 1 – 6 and since 2014, working with a colleague, Penny has delivered Deafblind training levels 1 -3. Penny believes it is vital for the Deafblind community, to run Deafblind courses to enable and support the current and future Deafblind Support Workers, Deafblind guides and Deafblind Advocates with experience, training and qualifications.

Aside from working, Penny has been a volunteer for Friends for Young Deaf Trust (FYD) and Deaf Breakthrough organising many events. She also works closely with the charity Chloe’s and Sophie’s Special Ears Fund (CSSEF), delivering Deaf awareness training and short courses to schools, the fire service, councils and more. In her spare time Penny likes Yoga, running keeping fit, meeting people, a big achievement was completing the London Marathon!

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Stephen joined Sight for Surrey as a Trustee in October 2022. He was primarily a service user and continues to be an active volunteer. He is a red & white cane user, who is registered severely sight impaired with a hearing loss (Dual Sensory Loss).

Stephen is a keen musician and with the support of friends still performs locally.

He also has an avid interest in access technology which is important to him so he can communicate effectively and remain independent.

Stephen is a firm believer in “where there is a will there is a way” and considers himself to be a problem solver, which has helped him on his dual sensory loss journey.

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