Employee recognised for helping deaf people at national business awards

A woman who has helped hundreds of deaf people find permanent employment has been recognised at a national business awards ceremony. 

Cheryl Cullen reached the final shortlist of five in the ‘No Boundaries’ category at the Microsoft Dynamics Change Ambassadors Awards which took place last week.

 

Cheryl Cullen, from Royston, was recognised at the national Change Ambassadors Awards

The passionate innovator set up a service for Thriplow-based company Clarion Interpreting to improve equal access and interpreting services for deaf people in business by helping them turn their lives around through permanent employment.

Using her idea, the company, set up in 2002, has placed 250 people and found permanent work for 20 per cent of them - meeting the industry average for people without disabilities.

Cheryl, head of Business Development at Clarion, said: “I’m chuffed to bits that the employment service has worked so well. It’s my job to innovate, develop new business and lead on change but when a good idea has such a high social return for an individual who is so disadvantaged in terms of securing employment, well when it comes to personal satisfaction it doesn’t get much better that”.

Clarion have customers across the country, from small local charities to large international corporate companies.

The Microsoft Dynamics Change Ambassador Awards, managed by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), recognise employees from across the UK who have helped execute successful change within their business.

Steve Morrow, director of Microsoft Dynamics UK, said: “It is fantastic to see how many people have made a positive impact through change within their work place.

“These awards have emphasised the importance of innovation and how individuals can be the driving force behind change within their companies if they are persistent.”

Source : Cambridge News , 22nd May 2013