Teenager and hospital team win charity’s awards championing deaf children

Auditory Verbal UK (AVUK), the winner of the Early Years Award at the Children and Young People Now Awards 2023, hosted the Claire Campbell Awards to recognise individuals and organisations dedicated to championing deaf children’s rights and potential.

The awards, established in memory of the advocate and AVUK volunteer, Claire Campbell who died in November last year, highlighted the importance and achievements of those creating a better future for deaf children.

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The event brought together recipients, supporters and renowned figures committed to advancing the cause.

Among the winners was Lauren Press, a deaf 17-year-old from north London, who was lauded for her “growth and commitment to both her education and supporting other deaf individuals”.

Lauren, who is studying A Levels in English language, psychology and philosophy at Haberdashers Girls’ School and mentors other young people, has spoken at the Houses of Parliament and London’s City Hall on behalf of the charity.

She was diagnosed as profoundly deaf soon after she was born, she had her first cochlear implant aged two and her second at six.

She joined AVUK’s specialist family programme aged six months to learn to listen and speak. At three she graduated with spoken language skills at a level expected for a hearing child of her age.

Lauren won the children and young people’s Claire Campbell Outstanding Achievement Award after being nominated by her school.

The nomination said: “She has a great deal of drive and motivation and is dedicated to helping others understand deafness and to help improve outcomes for all deaf children”.

St George’s Hospital’s Auditory Implant Service won the Adult Outstanding Achievement Award.

For more than a decade they have been committed to positively impacting the lives of deaf children and young people, AVUK said.

Chris Campbell, Claire’s husband, presented the awards, along with their youngest two children, Alice and Oliver, who are both profoundly deaf and have been supported by AVUK.

During his presentation he emphasised the exceptional qualities of the winners, expressing delight that the awards encapsulate the essence of Claire’s tireless efforts.

“I’m delighted that the St George’s team and Lauren have won these first awards in memory of Claire who I know would be equally thrilled.

“Claire was passionately determined that being born deaf would not stop our children, Alice and Ollie, from achieving everything they were capable of,” he said.