Our Staff

All interpreters are appropriately qualified, hold the necessary insurance and have an up to date CRB check. We can assure you that they will behave professionally and ethically at all times.

Membership of the Association of Sign Language Interpreters (ASLI) and/or registration with the National Register of Communication with Deaf People (NRCDP) is a pre-requisite.

In-house staff

Helen Caldwell - MRSLI, Director

Hi my name is Helen, I have been interpreting for over 10 years, I started working as a communication support worker at my local college, supporting Deaf students on a variety of different courses from woodwork to ‘A’ levels! I really enjoyed working with students in an educational environment and loved using BSL in a professional manner, although I have been signing all of my life I had never had the chance to use my skills formally.

It was whilst I was working as a CSW that that I decided to formalise my skills and become an interpreter. I did the NVQ in interpreting and 2 years later became fully qualified.

I then became a freelance interpreter and met Carly and Al, a few years later in 2007 Deafinite Interpreters was established!

I am very lucky because I get to do a job that I love, every day is different I get to meet a wide range of people, I am also very lucky to be part of a great team.

In my spare time I love being with my family, socialising, running and dancing!!

Carly Renaud - MRSLI, Director

Hi, my name is Carly, I have been interpreting for 10 years and I still love it as much as the day I started.

I went to Wolverhampton University to study interpreting, after graduating I worked at Nottingham Deaf Society as a trainee interpreter. I worked in a wide variety of settings with fantastic support that developed my skills immensely. I then moved to the Southwest and became a freelance interpreter. During that time I became a fully qualified interpreter and an ASLI mentor.

In October 2007 myself, Helen and Alison established Deafinite Interpreters with the aim to provide the Southwest with a simple but high quality service.

I now only work part time as I have two young children that keep me very busy the rest of the week!

Alison Kingdon - MRSLI, Director

Hi, my name is Al, I have been interpreting for around 13 years. I took the interpreting course at Bristol, and came out as a baby interpreter with no experience what so ever. I got a job with the Surrey interpreting agency which helped me gain experience in all sorts of different situations. I then did more training to become qualified whilst I was there.

After a few years there, I moved to Devon with my family and worked as a freelance interpreter. Whilst working as a freelancer I met Helen and Carly and we talked about the possibility of working together to set up an agency, after lots of discussion and worry Deafinite Interpreters was born!

I still love interpreting just as much, as I get to meet different people every day. I work part time and spending rest if my time on our farm in north Devon.

Caron Wolfenden, MRSLI, MASLI

I am the Senior Interpreter in the team and joined Deafinite in September 2010. I relocated to the South West from London where I have worked as an interpreter for 14 years…I previously have worked for RAD and NCA, both regional agencies.

My main studies were at Bristol University and I qualified in 2002 having achieved the UCLAN Post Graduate Diploma in BSL/English Interpreting. Since then I further trained to become a mentor, trainer and assessor of interpreters. I have played an active role in ASLI, our professional association, and am a member of both efsli and WASLI (our European and World Associations) and have presented at WASLI in South Africa and Spain.

I do not specialise in one particular interpreting domain, however I do have a keen interest in mental health and social services. I am lucky enough to love my job and enjoy going to work every day…for me it’s about joint working with Deaf people to work towards a time of social equality and to ensure that Deaf people have the same opportunities as everyone else...my part is to interpret to the best of my ability.

Aside from interpreting I am married, have 2 cats and enjoy camping, yoga and spending time with friends and family.

Helen Ellis – Operations and Strategic Manager

Hi, my name is Helen I have been with Deafinite Interpreters since 2008.
I love my job and every day I am faced with new challenges.
I manage the office and make sure everything runs smoothly and everyone is happy customers and staff alike.

My introduction to the Deaf community was about 14 years ago when I took a job at Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education as a teaching assistant in the primary school.

I have level 1 and 2 in British Sign Language and always try my very best to communicate with everyone I meet on a daily basis. The team at Deafinite Interpreters do a really good job and work well together.

In my spare time I love to cook and regularly take cakes to work for the girls.
My teenage children keep me busy but they’re the best. They keep me on my toes!

Elizabeth Parker MRSLI

Hi, my name is Elizabeth, I have worked as a BSL/English Interpreter at Deafinite for three and a half years now. I was the first ever 'baby' interpreter to join the team and I am now a fully qualified MRSLI. I have a BSc in Deaf Studies/ Interpreting from Bristol University. I love being part of such a supportive, fun team sharing the variety of our work amongst each other. No two days are the same and I thrive on the challenges and the rewards that my role brings. I am thrilled to be doing a job that I love.

Outside of work I love shimmying my way to salsa dancing and am partial to the odd glass of wine!

Lulu Cummings MRSLI

Hi my name is Lulu Cummings. I have been working as an interpreter since September 2008, which is when I joined Deafinite Interpreters. I did my interpreter training at the University of Bristol from 2005 to 2008. After a year in the field, I started the RNID NVQ Level 6 Interpreting course in Bath. Since 2010, I have been working as a fully qualified interpreter, MRSLI.

Outside of work I enjoy going to the gym and swimming. I used to swim competitively and was part of the Great Britain swimming squad for ten years. I represented Britain internationally from the age of 12. I competed in two Deaflympics, World championships, European Championships and many international friendly competitions. Being an international swimmer enabled me to meet a great number of people from around the globe, making friends for life, and it gave me the language skills to become an interpreter.

Siobhan Green TI

Hi my name is Siobhan Green. I started working at Deafinite in February 2010 as a JTI, Junior Trainee Interpreter. I previously worked as a Communication Support Worker at the Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education from 2007 - 2010. Having had over a year of experience working in the field of interpreting I will be starting the NVQ 6 Diploma in Sign Language Interpreting in September 2011 to become a fully qualified interpreter, MRSLI. When I am qualified I am interested in specialising in police and court interpreting.

I was born in South Africa and moved to England when I was 15, I miss the warm sunshine and sandy beaches but I am happy and settled here in Devon.

Outside of work I enjoy going to the gym to work off the large amounts of chocolate that I eat!

Anna Trethewey JTI

Hi, My name is Anna Trethewey.

I first started learning BSL in Cornwall when I was 16, after being diagnosed with a moderate hearing loss. I went on to Bristol University to study Deaf Studies BSc (Interpreting) and thoroughly enjoyed it. I started working at Deafinite in August 2010. Currently, I am working on my Level 6 Certificate in BSL. Alongside this, I am also the regional rep of ASLI for Devon and Cornwall. My favourite domain of interpreting is in Medical settings. However, in the future I would like to become more involved with both theatre and religious interpreting as well.

In my spare time I enjoy reading novels, classical music and eating lots of chocolate!

Rachael Swain – Bookings Co-ordinator

Hi, my name is Rachael, I joined Deafinite in January 2011. My role is to manage the interpreter diaries and do my best to fill all the booking requests that we receive. It is my job to make sure that the interpreters go to the right booking at the right time, and that everyone gets the best interpreter for their job. I am also involved with lots of other administrative tasks in the office but bookings take up the majority of my time.

I had no previous experience within the Deaf community before I started at Deafinite, but now that I am here I cannot imagine going back to a “mainstream” office job. I love the variety that my job provides and really enjoy dealing with such a wide range of people on a daily basis.

I am really looking forward to starting BSL Level 1 in September. The rest of the team here at Deafinite are all amazing, everyone has their own strengths and we all work really well together to ensure that everyone gets the best possible service.

In my spare time I enjoy playing netball and darts, horse riding and keeping fit. I also run the local guide unit and love reading, walking in the countryside with my husband and our cute little dog and spending time with my friends and family.

Laura Nichol TI

Hi, my name is Laura Nichol.
I am the baby of the team having only joined in August 2011, but I am really enjoying my time here already! I love the variety that interpreting brings and I really enjoy meeting new people, Deaf and hearing alike, which is also an important part of the job. I studied BSc Deaf Studies at Bristol University, where I fell into interpreting ‘by accident’, and I have loved it ever since.

I really enjoy travelling and experiencing new cultures (especially the food!), and in my spare time I enjoy cooking and catching up with friends.

Freelance Interpreters

Deafinite Interpreter’s comprehensive database of freelance interpreters complements our in-house provision. They are all members of the ASLI or registered NRCDP and work to the same high standards as our in-house team.

If you wish to request a particular freelance interpreter, please do this at the time of booking.