About District 8
District 8 covers most of East Anglia, the large bulge of land on the East of England. It has a long coast line and inland are the fertile Fens with wide open horizons. Our 12 clubs are wide spread, with the majority on the coast and the rest deep inland resulting in long mileages attending District meetings. However, the latter seem to be well attended and membership fairly static.
District Chairman
District Chairman Heather Hewson
Welcome
I was born into a family of agricultural background in the centre of Norfolk. After school I attended Exeter University, got a degree in Mathematics, and then a job with Norfolk County Council where I qualified as a Public Finance accountant. I met my husband through Young Farmers and we have four children. Due to a change in our family circumstances, I decided that I would need to return to work, having first attended a course in computer studies for women returners. I then got a job with Norwich City Council, cashiering and in their Customer Services section, serving all walks of life. I have run a Brownie pack for 45 years, and since my retirement have become Treasurer for the Church and the local Playing Field. I love flowering arranging and gardening.
In 1998 I realised that I was losing the hearing in my right ear, and was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma, a benign tumour, and was successfully operated on at Addenbrooks. This resulted in a complete loss of hearing and balance in my right ear and facial nerve damage. My younger sister was born deaf so I have chosen Hearing Dogs for the Deaf as my charity.
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Who we support
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People is a charity helping people lead normal lives through their work training dogs. There are three categories and specialist training is given to each of their dogs.
Hearing dog (with a jacket and full assistance dog access rights, for deaf people who need sound support both inside and outside of the home).
Sound support dog (for people who need sound support in the home but not when out and about).
Companion dog (for people who don’t require support with sounds but would benefit from emotional support and companionship because of their deafness or hearing loss)
AD8
District 8 Officers
DISTRICT CHAIRMAN – Heather Hewson
1st Vice Chairman – Angela Leggett-Bond
Immediate Past Chairman – Deirdre Rothwell
District Secretary – Deirdre Griffin
District Treasurer – Elizabeth Thomas
Member of Council – Catherine Forsdike
District Editor – TBA
International Service Chairman – Linda Fellas
Membership & Development Officer – Lesley Frary
Email Us
District 8 Events
| Meeting | Date | Place |
|---|---|---|
| District Rally | 08/10/24 | The Grange Hotel, Swaffham |
| District Committee Meeting | 07/11/24 | Honington & Sapiston Village Hall, Beccles Hosts |
| District Committee Meeting | 13/03/25 | Honington & Sapiston Village Hall |
| Association Annual Conference | 31/03/25 - 02/04/25 | Harrogate |
| District Outing | TBA | Oxborough Hall |
| District Committee Meeting/AGM | TBA | TBA |
Current Clubs
Beccles - Waveney House Hotel NR34 9PL - 3rd Thursday 12.15
Ely - The Old Dispensary CB7 4ER - 4th Wednesday 19.00
Felixstowe - Orwell Hotel, Hamilton Road IP11 7DX - 1st & 3rd Thursday, 1st Thursday 19.00, 3rd Thursday at 12.00 noon
Great Yarmouth - The Imperial Hotel NR30 1EQ - 2nd Wednesday 12.45
Hunstanton and District - Le Strange Arms Hotel PE36 6JJ - 1st Wednesday 19.00
Ipswich - Ipswich & Suffolk Club IP1 3BX (Evenings) Variable Lunchtime - 1st Monday Alternate Midday & Evenings
Ipswich Orwell - Ipswich & Suffolk Club IP1 3BX - 2nd Wednesday
Ipswich East - Contact Secretary - catherineforsdike2@gmail.com
Saffron Walden - The Coach & Horses/Saffron Walden Gold Club CB11 3TR - 1st Wednesday 18.30
Thetford - Thetford Golf Club IP24 3NE - 1st Wednesday 18.30
Watton - The Methodist Centre IP25 6BJ - 3rd Thursday 19.30
Woodbridge - Ufford Park Hotel IP12 1QW - 1st Thursday 18.30
District 8 latest news
D8 Inner wheel Great Yarmouth’s 90th Charter Anniversary Lunch.
This took place at the Imperial Hotel Gt. Yarmouth on 6th. Sept 2024 and was well attended by members of District 8. together guests including the Mayor of Gt. Yarmouth Clr. Paula Waters-Bunn and District Chairman Heather Hewson ( who helped Gt. Yarmouth ‘s...
D8 Thetford member Marian de Bass shows convention bag contents and Margarette Golding rose
Thetford member Marian de Bass shows the contents of her Convention bag and also that finally at the end of July Marian’s Margarette Golding Rose had its first bloom. ...
D8 Ely hands over cheque to Alzheimers
At our AGM in July there were 2 “hand overs”. Firstly outgoing President Pauline Lancaster handed over a cheque for £1,282.59p. to Natalie Skipper from Alzheimer’s Society. Our fund raising events throughout the year had been for Alzheimer’s , President Pauline’s...