The week has been helpful to me as a stammerer and a person with little self confidence. The speech therapy was brilliant and very helpful with techniques being suggested. The activities built confidence in me but not as much as the speech therapy.
The speech therapy was to be honest superb, being presented in a detailed and relaxed style.
The high ropes were great. I didn't think I was going to get to a particular place but surprisingly I did. Climbing was great fun. The evening games were very exciting. Rafting was good fun too. The whole week has really built my confidence. Now I hope to use this experience and the new techniques out there in the real world.
Skern Lodge has a nice atmosphere, friendly staff and visitors. Lots of good food! The activities were well organised and fun and a good mix of things. The week has given me confidence and new techniques.
The speech therapy was good. I talked out in the group. I speak to more people. I tackled things I never thought I would such as high ropes and the climbing wall.
It helped knowing that I was surrounded by people in the same situation as me.
The food was spot on, every day there was a different dish. It was like being in a four star restaurant. We had a full English, toast, cereal, coffee and fruit for breakfast, for lunch a packed lunch with a range of sandwiches, for dinner a salad for starter, main meal, two puddings and fruit. It was lush.
All of us have been able to meet other people with a stammer. I learnt so much that I think that I could do a presentation about brain surgery to the entire world and not even stammer. The Skern staff were so patient as well as good fun and a laugh. I don't think I've laughed so much in my life.
The therapy was great, useful and informative, the activities were brilliant, they were exhilarating. The instructors were really nice and friendly and they work out of hours to make the week as enjoyable as possible. The accommodation was reasonable sized and the facilities were top notch as well. The food was beautiful.
The activities such as canoeing, high ropes and abseiling helped us relax and get to know each other, and developed our self-confidence. Three times a day we had sessions where we talked about how our speech affects us and we also practised various strategies to see what suited us best.
This experience helped me a lot and I have become more confident about my speech. It was really good to meet other teenagers like me.
A message from Jo a year after the course:
I am happy and doing well. I have gained confidence and made lots of new friends. This has improved my speech quite a bit. I have a job as a receptionist at a sports centre which involves lots of talking and good communication skills. One of my main improvements has been talking on the phone which I do continuously. I am pleased with what I have achieved. I have overcome a lot of fear I used to have about talking. I am a lot more comfortable with my speech.
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