I’m Jacob, I’m 13, and I’ve got a stammer. I started stammering when I was nine and it’s got quite a bit worse since then. Sometimes I don’t mind it but sometimes it’s really frustrating when I’m trying to join in with a conversation and the words just won’t come out. It’s especially hard when I’m with a group of kids all talking to each other and I feel like I just can’t join in. That’s when I find it most upsetting.

I don’t have a speech therapist. Apparently there’s a shortage of them and we can’t find one who understands stammering and autism enough to be able to help me. Mum and school are trying to find someone but they're having no luck at the moment and meanwhile my stammer is just getting worse.

Three years ago I saw a speech therapist for a few sessions and she taught me some techniques that did help. So I want to start practising and using those techniques again... but it feels really hard and I don’t always feel like I can do it even though I know it might help. And that’s when we had this idea. 

If I’m doing it for a cause I really care about I think I’m more likely to keep going. So I'm ready to take the reins with my stammer!

I’ve been horse riding at Chigwell Riding Trust for Special Needs since I was 10 and it’s the most amazing place. Riding has given me so much confidence and makes me realise I'm capable of more than I think. The staff, volunteers and horses there are so fabulous but it costs a lot of money to keep it running and I would really like to help them in return for how much they help me.

So here’s what I’m planning:

• For four weeks, starting from Monday 8^th August, I will practice my stammer techniques for a minimum of 10 minutes every day.
• I’ll share regular updates on my Mum’s Facebook so you can see what techniques I use and how I’m getting on.
• Sometimes I’ll practice by talking about Chigwell Riding Trust and sharing videos of that so you can learn more about
  CRT as well as seeing the techniques I'm practising.
• Four weeks after I start this fundraising project, I’ll go back to school and hopefully will be able to control my stammer a bit better thanks to all my practice.
• This will help me to talk to other kids more easily and I'll start the new school year with more confidence.

If you’d like to sponsor me for this I would be so grateful. Knowing that I’m raising money for CRT will encourage me to practice even when I don’t want to. Thank you so much.