Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I'm fundraising for the British Stammering Association, a charity devoted to helping those who stammer. Their main vision is a society where every person who stammers has as much chance of a full and rewarding life as anyone else. I stand by this vision and by raising funds I hope to do my bit to help those I've met – through the Manchester Stammering Support Group – and those I haven't.

5% or more children under 5 will go through a period of stammering in their lives. And 1% of the adult population stammers (stammering.org, 2017). To most people without a stammer, it's the overt features we know about: the repetitions, the blocks and so on. But for so many, particularly adults, there is so much more that goes on underneath. Joseph Sheehan (an American speech therapist with a stammer) once described it as an iceberg, with what's under the waterline being hidden from view: the feelings of self-hatred, of shame, of embarrassment. Many children with a stammer do not speak in class for fear of stammering, and are labelled "quiet" or "uncooperative". Many adults will avoid situations where they anticipate stammering, perhaps because of negative reactions, perhaps simply because they don't want to stammer anymore. The more we can raise awareness of stammering and the work of the BSA and raise funds to support their vital work, the more we can do to help. Thank you.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.