A 19-year-old activist for deaf people who blogs about her triumphs and tribulations has been nominated for a national award.

Ellen Parfitt, from Wreningham, has been shortlisted for the Young Person Award in the Royal Association of the Deaf 175th Birthday Honours Awards, which will be held in London on Thursday.

After becoming frustrated with her profound deafness, Ellen – who works for the Leeway domestic violence charity – decided to set up the online platform last May, as a place to off load.

'I had doubts about what people would think about my writing style because throughout high school I struggled with getting my ideas written down,' she said.

But, with the support of her family and boyfriend, she took the plunge – and the blog quickly became a hit with the deaf community.

'I think there was a target audience of teenagers who were missing out on a deaf role model, which is my aim through this blog,' she said.

'I want to inspire deaf people to realise that they can achieve anything in life, given the right support.'

Miss Parfitt, who is also a lifeguard and trainee girlguide adult leader, has been profoundly deaf in both ears since birth. She hopes to become an ambassador for others in the same position.

Her blog – called Day in the Life of a Deafie – details her achievements and every day struggles.

Her most popular posts include her experiences lifeguarding and about spreading awareness of deafness in schools.

'I love getting in touch with other deaf people, inspiring them and sharing experiences, so they know that they're not alone with their hearing loss,' she said. 'I am so proud to be nominated for this award, as it makes me want to work even harder to make deaf people's lives better.'

To visit the blog, click here.

Do you know someone inspiring we should be writing about? Email lauren.cope@archant.co.uk