Deaf schoolgirl joins BBC Children in Need Choir to perform live

Josephine, an eight-year-old girl from Luton, joined the BBC Children in Need Choir to perform live for the annual fundraising event.

Josephine was born deaf and has worn hearing aids since she was 12 weeks old. She will perform the song Stargazing by Myles Smith, a musician who also lives in Luton. Josephine received support from the Phoenix Group for Deaf Children in Stevenage, a charity that operates in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.

The organization provides activities and sign language interpreters to help children with hearing impairments feel included. Josephine's mother, Gemma, said the group helped Josephine build confidence and feel comfortable in her own skin after she struggled with speech development in a mainstream school. The Phoenix Group for Deaf Children provides access to experiences that might otherwise be difficult for families to arrange, such as trips to locations like Royston Fire Station.

Josephine's father, Charley, is also deaf and shared that he felt like he did not belong anywhere as a child. The charity aims to ensure children like Josephine know they are not alone. Josephine expressed her desire to become a sign language teacher in the future.