91Èȱ¬

Action for Stammering Children is the UK charity for children and young people who stammer, their families, and the communities who support them.

They make sure that every child who stammers has the support, respect and confidence to live the life they want to lead. They support and empower parents, caregivers and professionals; facilitate and champion research; and campaign for changes in policy and societal attitudes. Their goal is a world where having a stammer has no impact on your ambitions.Ìý

But for the 8% of children in the UK who have a stammer, it can have a very real effect on their current and long-term mental, emotional and social well-being. Everyday tasks that many people take for granted – things like answering a question, talking with friends, ordering a coffee, or saying your own name – can bring with them feelings of stress, frustration, anxiety, and embarrassment. This has to change.That’s why Action for Stammering Children focus their efforts on three action areas:

·ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýInformation, community and support:ÌýThey provide resources, advice and guidance for children and young people who stammer, their families, and the professionals who support them.Ìý

·ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýChanging policies and attitudes:ÌýThey make sure the voices of children and young people who stammer are heard. They work with politicians and other decision makers to ensure the unique needs of children who stammer are reflected in public policy.

·ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýChampioning research:ÌýThey support and promote research into childhood stammering. This builds understanding and feeds into the advocacy work, informing positive changes in policy and practice.Ìý

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I am honoured to be presenting this appeal for Action for Stammering Children, the national charity for children and young people who stammer, and their families.

I became involved with Action for Stammering Children after I portrayed King George VI,Ìýin The King’s Speech. I was delighted to become their Vice-President in 2013. Spending time with the young people the charity supports has given me aÌýconsiderableÌýinsight into the challenges they face growing up in a world in which stammering is misunderstood and stigmatised.

We still don’t know exactly why children stammer – but we do know that stammering affects around 8% of children and has an enormous social and emotional impact on children and their families. Action for Stammering Children exists to ensure that every child has the support, respect and confidence to live the life they want to lead. By supporting their appeal, you can help them reach many more families across the UK.

Thomas is a young person who has a stammer. Through the charity, he was able to access a stammering course that we offer through our partnership with Talking Out, which gave him the chance to meet other young people his age who stammer and develop his confidence. Thomas went on to become an active member of our Youth Panel and works with us to raise awareness about stammering by speaking openly about his stammer with the media.Ìý

As part of his Duke of Edinburgh Award, Thomas volunteered with the charity, and after achieving his Gold Award was invited to meet HRH Prince Edward at Buckingham Palace. In 2021, Thomas became a Global Rise Winner in recognition of his idea to develop an app that would support young people who stammer. He recently took on the role of coordinator of the Youth Panel and is about to start university.Ìý

Phoebe is a young woman who started to stammer as a young child. Through engaging with the charity, she was able to access support, develop her confidence and self-esteem, and meet other young people who stammer within the Action for Stammering Children community.ÌýÌý

Phoebe is now an active member of our Youth Panel and recently took over the role of managing the Youth Panel’s social media. As part of the ASC Youth Panel, Phoebe has worked closely with our charity - taking part in the 91Èȱ¬ One Show’s Rickshaw Challenge, representing the charity in the media. She is passionate about encouraging more research into stammering and has contributed to several of our research projects. Now aged 23, Phoebe is currently studying medicine at university.Ìý

Amy is 16 years old and has a stammer. She first got involved in Action for Stammering Children when she took part in one of our partnership projects in North Yorkshire.Ìý

The charity funded Amy’s place on the residential stammering course we offer through our partnership with Talking Out Ltd. The course had a huge impact on Amy’s confidence and gave her the chance to meet other young people who know what it's like to grow up with a stammer. The course made such a difference to Amy that she was willing to speak about her experiences in front of a live audience at one of our events.ÌýÌýWe look forward to continuing to work with Amy and her family to raise awareness about stammering and make sure we are reaching more young people like her across the UK.Ìý

Ria also has a research background in childhood stammering, completing her PhD at University College London (UCL). Her doctoral research investigated the association between childhood stammering and risk for adverse mental health.Ìý

Drawing on her frontline experience and research and policy background, Ria is proud of the charity’s ambitious national strategy, which will see Action for Stammering Children reach many more children and young people across the UK.