Find out how to start a group or network for people who stammer or their allies.
Do you want to get together with other people who stammer?
Do you want to meet others with similar interests? Maybe you had a look at our list of existing communities and groups and there wasn't one for you. Why not start one yourself?
We strongly believe in the life-changing potential of connecting people who share similar experiences.
Starting a stammering community and potentially making new friends won't just benefit you. You'll make a massive difference to the lives of others.
Your community could be:
- A self-help or support group
- A social group
- You could build a group around a shared interest, like a book club or walking group. Or around your interest in stammering, eg as a parent or therapist.
- It could be an online group where you play virtual board games, for example.
- Or it could be a group for people who stammer in your workplace or within your industry. You could support each other and/or discuss how to influence a change of procedures.
It doesn't have to be scary
Starting a community doesn't have to involve a lot of organising or hard work.
It doesn't even have to be very formal with a set date every month. You can just find people to have a coffee, go for a walk or catch a movie with.
Our Communities & Campaigns Manager Vee is here to help you every step of the way to build your community successfully.
Get in touch with her at communities@stamma.org and share a bit about yourself and what your ideas are. Let's take it from there.
Not convinced yet?
Maybe the community can sell it better:
Bhupinder set up Coventry Stammerers in 2021.
She said, "I'm so happy with how the group's been growing. I set up it up because I felt really isolated; I felt ashamed of my stammer and couldn't show people who I was. Coventry Stammerers has really helped me to change my mindset about stammering. It's helped me to find my space".
One attendee of the Doncaster Stammering Association, a group that's been running for decades, shared this:
"When I attended the Doncaster Stammering Association meetings after a bad day at work and felt a bit rubbish about myself and my stammer — after those couple of hours I've been absolutely buzzing and thought: I've got this, I can do everything I want!”.
Convinced? If you would like to set up a community, email us at communities@stamma.org and we'll give you all the information and support you need.
Read an article by Ramesh, who set up the North Hertfordshire group.
