A PENARTH woman has become the new director of a Welsh hearing loss charity.

Rebecca Woolley, 37, has been appointed as director at Action on Hearing Loss Cymru, the charity supporting people who are deaf or have hearing loss in Wales.

She has been promoted following a brief period as interim director.

Ms Woolley joined Action on Hearing Loss head of external engagement in 2011 following previous service management roles in the NHS, and then became head of services in 2013.

She said: "I’m delighted to be appointed as director.

"It’s an exciting time for the charity as we launch our new five-year strategy in early 2018.

"The strategy will put the needs of people who are deaf or have hearing loss or tinnitus at the forefront of our work and aims to start challenging the public perceptions of deafness.

"There is still some way to go to ensure that people who are deaf are treated equally in our society.

"We hear on a daily basis about people who can’t get to see their GP because there’s no sign language interpreter booked for them or people who haven’t had a job interview for years, simply because their CV says they are deaf.

"I’m confident that we have a passionate team in Wales who are dedicated to transforming the lives people who are deaf or have hearing loss."

Ms Woolley replaces previous director Richard Williams, who has taken up the position of chief executive of the Community Foundation in Wales, following almost ten years’ service with Action on Hearing Loss Cymru.

The charity runs hearing aid clinics in local communities across Wales, delivers support and information for people dealing with a hearing loss, helps people into work and campaigns for the rights of deaf people.

For more information visit actiononhearingloss.org.uk/wales.