2011: a year to help all children communicate

18th October, 2010

Sarah Teather MP, Minister of State for Children and Families, gave the keynote speech at The Communication Trust's parliamentary event to say Hello to the 2011 National Year of Communication.

The National Year was proposed in John Bercow's 2008 Review of Services for Children and Young People 0-19 with Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN), the National Year - to help all children and young people fulfil their potential through communication.

This inaugural event unveiled for the first time Hello - The Communication Trust's campaign to achieve the aims of the National Year, by providing tangible improvements for the 1.2 million children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN).

BSA Chief Executive Norbert Lieckfeldt says:

BSA's aim has always been to raise awareness of stammering. Our members know that theirs is a condition that is not only often not recognised, but not understood even when it is.

Communication Trust CEO Anita Kerwin-Nye said at the launch event today that "people don't 'get' speech, language and communication needs, in the same way they 'get' autism, or dyslexia".

At the end of this year we hope that every parent 'gets' it - that they know what the problem could be and where to find help as soon as possible so that any problems can be nipped in the bud.

This is a huge step forward for our work, and that of our friends and colleagues in other charities. Securing this in a time of national austerity is an enormous achievement. We are looking forward to working with Government to stepping up our work for a world that understands stammering.

For more, see the Communiciation Trust's Press Release (Word doc). You can sign up for regular updates at www.hello.org.uk.