The National Conference, Nat Con 2000, Conference 2000, The Millennium Conference - call it what you like ... it was fantastic! The venue was the wonderful old stately home known as Wortley Hall (same venue as the 1998 Conference). The rolling hills, the trees, the landscaped gardens, the ornate ceilings, the deep leather chairs, antiques which had featured on Antiques Road show - all ended up in the back of Bob's van errrr.... all contributed to the relaxed, cosy feeling which permeated through the weekend of 22nd, 23rd and 24th September 2000. Even the sheep had once again been installed on the hillsides and in the fields surrounding the Hall.

High on fundraising

Before we look at the wonderful workshops, the superb speakers and the engaging entertainment, let us have a brief look at some of the work which took place in the year leading up to the Conference. All the BSA membership were involved in an initial consultation exercise which gave each member the chance to say what they would, or would not, like to see at the Millennium Conference. The hard working Local Organising Committee (LOC, made up of members from Doncaster's very own Stammerers' Self-Help Group - possibly the most active such group in the UK) scrutinised each return, and then discussed the findings. "Thank you" to all who replied - members who did not reply had not burned their boats, because the LOC were always willing to discuss any issues which people raised, and would help as much as possible prior to, and during, the Conference (those of you who wrote your requests on the back of a £50 note obviously got preferential treatment). In-house awareness raising of stammering issues with staff at Wortley Hall took place - vital when staff are going to be faced with blocks of stammerers and repetitions of stutterers. Support from the BSA office was excellent throughout - although the problems which BSA experienced at the end of 1999 and the start of 2000 not only jeopardised the very being of the Association, but also the Conference. Happily the Association pulled through - now stronger than ever, and, as you know, the Conference went ahead, although some of the plans made by the LOC were severely delayed.

A true BSA couple: Vijay and Jude

Funding is always an important factor - the more money you have ... the more you can do! Getting the money is not quite so straightforward. BSA have only a small amount of unrestricted funds which can be made available for the Conference. Hence 80+ letters were composed, edited, revised, retyped, and finally sent off to charities, trusts, companies etc. As any fundraiser knows there are lots of groups out there, all competing for money from the same pots. The response was very low. Undaunted, the LOC continued. Every event that took place, every letter sent out, every radio station contacted, every television station written to, every person spoken with - all increased the profile of stammering and the British Stammering Association. There are no failures! Events that took place included the Whernside Walk, attendance at the South Yorkshire Festival, entertaining at weddings, raffle ticket sales, bag packing and entertaining at Asda and lots more - including the Dangerous Tricks event. For those of you who don't know, the Dangerous Tricks event was held in Doncaster Town centre and raised lots of awareness and lots of money. Members and friends of the SSHG and BSA performed various tricks and stunts, including juggling, Chinese sticks, diabolo, unicycle riding, eating and breathing fire (try stammering after that! In fact, just try talking!), laying on a bed of 6" sharp, rusty nails and walking on broken glass - barefoot! Fortunately no-one was seriously injured, and all the wounds had healed in time for the Conference!

Terrified therapists resorting to drink

Meanwhile, the workshops were being worked out, and Norbert and Melvin were making the journey up from London for one of the Committee meetings. The number of people applying to run workshops was phenomenal. Sorry to those of you we had to turn down - why not have a word with the Liverpool LOC with regard to this year's Conference? Workshops included relaxation, gender issues, challenge and support, art, starfish project, phone use, communication skills and loads more! Sorry if your particular workshop has been missed off - there were in excess of 35 workshops over the weekend! The response from participants was excellent. The Yorkshire Aboriginals' Didgeridoo workshop attracted more than 35 people!

Busting a gut in the didgeridoo workshop

Lots of firsts took place over the weekend - some people talking on the Open Mike for the first time - some people talking for the first time! Some people running workshops for the first time (not necessarily as easy as one might imagine), some people attending the National Conference for the first time. A subheading for the Conference was "Celebrate your Self-Expression" - well done to all who did just that! Jamie from the Doncaster group had always wanted to run a karaoke. Run it he did - until the early hours of Saturday morning! Marvellous - and a big thank you to the Doncaster Young Carers Group who so kindly gave us free use of their brand new kit. Inspired by the ground breaking which was going on all around, Big Bad bob analysed his fears regarding singing at the karaoke. Bob then accepted this personal challenge and entered into the singing arena. Choosing a quiet little number (Wild Thing!) he was pleased to discover that the experience was both empowering - and fun! Look out Stars in their Eyes! Other entertainments included the bouncy castle, the roving bunko booth (which both won and lost £££s), music quizzes, the BSA AGM (!), acupressure and Indian head massage, the Sensory Mind Walk, Ceilidh with The 'B' Team, the late, late bar, late music in the late late bar, late late jokes, plenty of talk, the scintillating sounds of the Frank Blues Band (And yes, there was plenty of room for those who wanted to dance!), and time to just chill out and enjoy the whole building, the grounds and the people. For some (Neil in particular) it was a whole new experience - at times a little frightening, but friendly support was always at hand. For those who really wanted to dance there was the Universal Disco. Run from the group's mini disc (courtesy of the National Lottery Awards For All) the eclectic mix of pop, reggae, dance, rock, Dean Martin and much more proved very popular. The smoke machine and strobe lights attracted people like moths to a candle. After an hour and a half of non-stop dancing (including a robotic dance demonstration and workshop) the disco drew to a close. As Bob was packing up, Colin (Vice-Chair of the SSHG) returned after driving his wife home. "Is the disco over?" "Yes, it was great. Would you like to see the strobe lights? I'll put the smoke machine back on as well. To get the full effect, I'll put some music on." As the intrepid duo strutted (as opposed to stuttered) their funky stuff more people entered the arena - and Universal Disco part 2 took place - another hour and a half of fun!

The late, late bar

There were various speakers throughout the weekend - including the delightful, the warm, the friendly, the AWESOME Mary Wood (all the way from Canada). Mary's workshop and presentations are always excellent! Rob Hilton was very pleased to expand his comfort zone by gracing the stage after the official welcome by Mr A.H. Oakes. Other speakers included Dr David Creek and Sparrow Harrison - founder of the original Association for Stammerers. Children and young people once again excelled in the Circus Skills workshop (some of whom had been in the workshop held at the previous year's Conference).

Gradually the Conference drew to a close. Expect the unexpected? we sure did - and it was served up big time! Feedback sheets were handed in (Again, a vital part of any event - otherwise how can we progress? Full sets available at the BSA office). Fond farewells were made, hugs were exchanged. One or two tears glistened in the eyes. The distant sound of didgeridoos drifted through the Hall, adding an almost mystical feel.

Big thanks to all who helped in whatever way with the Conference (you know, who you are!). Thanks to the staff at Wortley Hall for being supportive. Well, what next? How about The Film of the Millennium Conference? Relive the excitement, the wonder and the errr... wonder of the event of the Millennium in the comfort of your own home. To get your very own copy of this specially compiled video, simply send your cheque for £4 (made payable to SSHG) to: Stammerers Self-Help Group, c/o Community House, 7 Netherhall Road, Doncaster DN1 2PH.

From the Winter 2000/2001 edition of Speaking Out