Meet the Team
updated 07/02/08
This is Paul-Micheal Coldham a BSL Tutor.
He has been teaching B.S.L. Courses for over ten years. Originally from the south,
he now lives in Blackpool.
He enjoys teaching British Sign Language for The Fylde Coast BSL Centre. Paul-Michael also works for a charity based in Devon which takes his teaching work all over the United Kingdom. He also works for CACDP as an external assessor for Level one.
As well as Stage one, Stage two and Level three he has numerous other qualifications in the Deaf field including Communication Tactics, Deaf Community and Culture and Cued Speech. Paul-Michael currently holds the City & Guilds 7307/1 Adult Education Teacher Certificate and the new qualification of 'Preparing to teach in the life-ling learning sector.' Current courses of study are BSL Level 4 N.V.Q. (Manchester) and Post Graduate Certificate in Education (Lancaster University).
Paul-Michael has taught beginners, stage one and currently is teaching BSL Level two for the centre. He looks forward to teaching Level three later this year and Level four in the future.
My name is Micheala J Guttormsen, a support worker for Fylde Coast BSL
Centre, but all my friends call me Kayla.
I am the proprietor of the building used for the BSL Centre. I came to Blackpool thirteen years ago,
bringing with me high ambitions to succeed in the business world. Since then I have developed my Hair
Salon and Property Portfolio to a reasonably high level and am now concentrating my efforts in helping to
promote the Fylde Coast BSL Centre, run by Janice.
When I first met Janice I found her natural sign language a great fascination and almost therapeutic. It became something I wanted to get involved in to see how it all works. I fell in love with the language and hope to become a proficient signer eventually.
I am now intensively involved in the Centre and hope to be able to provide vital support and experience to ensure the Centre becomes very successful. I hope everyone else finds this special language as interesting as I do and will be encouraged to learn it too.
My name is Shirley Wild, I am a Volunteer Worker. I was first introduced to The Fylde Coast BSL Centre, when as a Project Worker, was assigned to research
a quality training company to introduce and teach taster sessions to Blackpool Council employees during Adult
Learners Week.
Janice along with Kayla her Support Worker immediately took up the challenge and went on to captivate and enthuse the attendees with her unique style of tutoring.. At the end of the first session Janice had the whole room signing and communicating in BSL and thoroughly enjoying themselves in the process. They all agreed they could use this new skill within their own work environments/departments and felt confident to use it socially too. Everyone asked for more and all went on to complete a 6 week Foundation Class and then sign up for a BSL Level 1 course. What an achievement and success for all!
I had previously taken BSL Level 1, Post Level 1 and Deaf Awareness classes but was so enthused myself that I immediately signed up with her Centre to continue onto Level 2 with Paul-Michael, who has his own distinctive style and humour which makes learning enjoyable.
I was more than happy to act as a volunteer for the Fylde Coast BSL Centre and will actively promote and encourage everyone to experience this fascinating language and culture, whether for work or social needs. I look forward to a long and enjoyable involvement with them all at the Centre.
