Major deaf children’s charity appoints next chief

The National Deaf Children’s Society has appointed George Crockford, chief operating officer at the Teenage Cancer Trust, as its next chief executive.

Crockford succeeds Susan Daniels, who announced in January she would step down after 33 years in the top role. Daniels is not moving to another job, but instead plans to spend time travelling with her family after her departure.

Daniels said: “I have loved every minute of my time at the National Deaf Children’s Society and am immensely proud and privileged to have had the opportunity to lead the charity. 

“But with a fantastic team in place, it’s the right time to pass on the mantle and embark on a new chapter, both for the organisation and me personally.”

Daniels will leave the charity on 18 July, with Crockford assuming the post in mid-September. 

Jane Foreman, the charity’s deputy chief executive and chief finance officer, will act as interim chief until Crockford takes up the job.

Crockford has been in his current post at Teenage Cancer Trust for the past year, before which he was the charity’s director of finance, performance and governance for a year and a half.

Before this, he worked in the UK National Audit Office for 16 years in several roles, where he supported parliamentary accountability and influenced improvements to public service delivery.

Crockford also worked for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea between 2021 and 2022, where he led work to improve public services based on learnings from the Covid-19 pandemic. 

He brings personal experience of the deaf community to the job, being a parent to a profoundly deaf child and having grown up as a child of deaf adults himself.

“This connection fuels his empathy, understanding and unwavering dedication to supporting deaf children and their families,” the charity said.

Crockford has been supported by the National Deaf Children’s Society and was a trustee of the charity for three years, before which he served six years as a trustee for the Kent Deaf Children’s Society.

Crockford said: “While I am sad to leave Teenage Cancer Trust, I’m very much looking forward to taking on this new challenge, which means so much to me personally as well as professionally. 

“I know firsthand the transformative impact the National Deaf Children’s Society’s work has on deaf children, their families and local communities. My commitment to the organisation’s mission is unwavering, and I am dedicated to making a positive, long-lasting impact on the lives of deaf children and their families.”

Dominic Holton, chair of the National Deaf Children’s Society, said: “His [George’s] skills, knowledge and leadership expertise, combined with the passion and drive that comes from personal experience, makes him the right person to lead the charity.”