Sophie visits schhol for hearing impaired children

From: Wandsworth Borough Guardian, UK - Mar 28, 2003

The pupils at Oak Lodge School for hearing impaired children in Balham welcomed

Sophie, Countess of Wessex, on Wednesday, who dropped in to meet pupils and join in a class (left).

The countess was also welcomed as the new trustee of the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID), and so got a first-hand look at the vital practical support given to families by Wandsworth's Service for Hearing Impaired Children.

James Strachan, chairman of RNID, said "It is tremendous news that the Countess of Wessex has decided to make deaf and hard of hearing people a major priority in her charitable work.

"Her desire not just to be involved but to become an active member of our board of trustees is doubly exciting.

"RNID's goal is to ensure a radically better quality of life for the nine million deaf and hard of hearing people in this country."

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