About LET

The Leslie Edwards Trust (LET)

The Leslie Edwards Trust was founded in 2010 to provide essential services to the hearing impaired in Loughborough, and to honour the legacy of Leslie Edwards, a passionate advocate for the hard of hearing. Leslie dedicated his life to supporting individuals facing the challenges of hearing loss, believing that everyone deserves to be heard and understood.

Who Was Leslie Edwards?

Leslie was not only a remarkable individual but also a beacon of hope for many in the East Midlands. He experienced hearing loss himself and understood firsthand the barriers it can create in everyday life. Rather than allowing his own challenges to define him, he used his experiences to inspire others. Leslie was known for his warm smile, unwavering determination, and commitment to fostering inclusivity within the community.

Why We Carry His Name

The Leslie Edwards Trust is named in his honour to reflect his values and vision. Our mission is to promote social inclusion for hearing-impaired individuals and their families, ensuring that they feel supported, connected, and empowered. Leslie’s legacy lives on through our programs and initiatives, as we continue to advocate for those navigating hearing loss.

(If you would like to learn more about Leslie Edwards, please click here)

Our Commitment

At LET, we are dedicated to:

Empowerment: Providing tools and resources that help individuals build confidence in their communication skills.
Community: Creating a supportive environment where people of all ages can connect, share experiences, and learn from one another.
Awareness: Raising awareness about hearing loss and its impact, while advocating for better accessibility and inclusion.

meet the team

Trustee: Paul Siddals- Chair

Whilst my hearing was perfect when young, age related hearing loss meant that it slowly declined in my sixties. Specsavers provided me with excellent hearing aids that went a long way towards restoring my hearing. However in my 70s a virus attacked one of my auditory nerves and I suddenly lost all hearing in my right ear. New hearing aids somewhat mitigated this but I still had great difficulty in social settings and noisy environments.

Consequently I started lip reading classes and although I find it challenging, it can be helpful understanding what is being said, and the social interactions with the group also provide help and support. The 2 hour classes are extremely well lead and always interesting and informative. They are expensive to run and few of the participants could afford the full price, so I felt that it was important to join the trustees so that funding could be obtained for the continuation of the classes.

Trustee: Mark Loydall- Treasurer

I am a business man who is married with three grown up children. I have a variety of interests from keeping fit, including cycling to building up my small-holding in South Scotland where I breed alpacas, sheep, and chickens.

I helped to found LET back in 2010 because helping the hearing impaired is close to my wife's heart. In September 2020 I took on the challenge of cycling from Lands End to John O'Groats to raise money for Pathfinder Dogs.

Trustee: Carrie Short- Secretary

I have suffered from hearing loss since my teens, after repeated ear infections and cholesteatomas. However, like most people I lived most of my life in denial- relying on others to help me navigate the world. When I was 33, my husband died suddenly and I was forced to confront the reality of how bad my hearing loss had become. I struggled to function in a hearing world, and I became depressed and isolated.

Finding LET literally changed my life. They enabled me to socialise again, and provided me with the tools and skills to manage my hearing loss. Through them I even got myself hearing aids- pretty pink ones that are so small these days they are unnoticeable by most!

I became a trustee to help others the way that I was helped, and to share information about hearing loss that is difficult to find. Especially when you are a younger age. I want people to know that having hearing loss isn't a bad thing, I embrace it now and I love who I am!

Jenny Cluley- Tutor/ Committee Member

Jenny Cluley has been a lipreading tutor and committee member for the Leslie Edwards Trust since 2020. Originally trained as a primary school teacher, Jenny has a postgraduate qualification in dyslexia studies and has taught across all ages at primary, secondary, further education and adult education levels.

Approaching retirement, Jenny spotted a letter in her community newspaper from the Leslie Edwards Trust, which highlighted a shortage of lipreading teachers across the UK. Jenny re-trained as a lipreading teacher at the City Lit College in London in 2019 and is now teaching an online lipreading class, and face-to-face lipreading classes in both Birstall and Loughborough.

Sue Howell- Minute Taker/ Committee Member

For the past 30 years I have lived in Birstall, Leicester with my husband Mostyn. Since 2008 I have been working at the University of Leicester as a PA/College Administrator.

My hearing was affected after contracting Meningitis in 2021 and as result I decided to attend the Birstall lip reading group run by Jenny Cluley. This class not only allowed me to attempt to learn some lip reading but it also enabled me to socially interact with other people who were suffering from other hearing related problems.

As a result of attending the classes I volunteered to join the Leslie Edwards Trust Committee as the minute taker in 2022.

Margaret Bell- Committee Member

I’m a retired Primary School teacher . I started using hearing aids a few years after retiring. Soon afterwards I became aware of a local lipreading class so I joined it. It was provided by the Leslie Edwards Trust Charity.

I have found it so beneficial. It’s an important additional aid. The benefit is not just from learning lipreading but the social interaction with people who have similar hearing related problems. It has increased my confidence to join in social events and improved my quality of life.

Angela Yates- Committee Member

I am retired, I enjoy many activities, mainly writing and have been a committee member for several years now with the Leslie Edwards Trust.

I was born without any hearing in one ear and only residual hearing in the other, so lipreading has always been part of my life. The lipreading classes provided by LET have not only enhanced my skills but put me in touch with other people who are hard of hearing which has been so beneficial socially.

Chrisi Rouse- Committee Member

I live in Desford, Leicestershire, and I am a retired infant teacher. I have 2 children and 4 grandchildren. I love animals and enjoy gardening and knitting, when I'm not looking after my grandchildren.

I support LET because they help provide lipreading and communication skills classes in Leicestershire to help the hard of hearing, like myself.

Join Us in Making a Difference

We invite you to be part of our mission. Together, we can honor Leslie’s legacy by ensuring that every voice is heard and valued. Whether you’re seeking support, looking to volunteer, or wishing to contribute, there’s a place for you in our community.