December 2009

Fluency Trust and 'Speak' film now online The Fluency Trust now has a website. You can view online the full version of its film 'Speak', for young people who stammer. Also details of the Trust's outdoor activity and intensive therapy courses.

Running to the limits Alex Vero, a filmmaker who stammers, presented his first major documentary on Channel 4 in December. Channel 4 are due to re-show it on 31st January.

November 2009

The BIG Cake Bake Charmaine Burrow and Alison McLaughlin, SLTs at East Lancanshire PCT, raised £186 for BSA though selling cakes and Christmas cards at a staff meeting. You can order their Christmas cards in aid of BSA, drawn by children who stammer.

Leeds to Porthcawl cycle ride Richard Lloyd cycled from Leeds to Porthcawl, in mid-November. You can follow the ride on his website.

Tribute to Peter Kissagizlis Peter, who died this month, was co-founder of the Hull and East Yorkshire Stammerers' Self-Help Group and a key figure in raising awareness of cluttering.

October 2009

Cherry Hughes on Teachers TV Teachers TV has a two minute interview with Cherry Hughes, our education officer. There is also news report of the Stammering Information Programme launch, with Ed Balls, Michael Palin and Cherry Hughes. You can see the two videos online.

Stammering Information Programme is launched A new resource for teachers by the Michael Palin Centre was launched on 20th October. Ed Balls also announced money towards a new specialist centre in the north of England.

Channel swim video Rachel Reed has just swum the English Channel, in 17 hours 23 minutes. You can watch the YouTube video of the swim, and sponsor her online to raise funds for BSA.

September 2009

Misleading adverts - you can help We have been campaigning against advertisments that give false hope by offering to 'cure' stammering. You can help for Stammering Awareness Day 2009 by flagging offending YouTube videos.

London to Brighton walk This summer Pepe Ghumra and his brother did a 50 mile walk from London to Brighton, in aid of BSA. You can sponsor them online.

August 2009

International award for BSA At their recent World Congress in Brazil, the International Fluency Association awarded the IFA Consumer Award of Distinction 2009 to the British Stammering Association.

July 2009

Stammering in Parliament Leys Geddes, now BSA Chair, gave evidence about people who stammer to a House of Commmons committee this June. The committee is looking into under-representation of various groups in Parliament. June 2009.

Fluency Trust film: 'Speak' The Fluency Trust have released a film "for young people who stammer, made by young people who stammer." You can watch a trailer online.

Before July 2009

Film for NAHT conference At the 2009 National Association of Head Teachers conference in Brighton, the voices of our young people could be heard in a new BSA film. You can watch it online. May 2009.

RCSLT: double MBE success The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) is celebrating the award of two MBEs to its senior staff members in this year's Queen's Birthday Honours. June 2009.

Peter Kissagizlis recognised for work on cluttering The International Cluttering Association (ICA) has honoured Peter Kissagizlis with a lifetime achievement award for services to the promotion of awareness of cluttering. March 2009.

Action Plan on Children's Services The Government launched its Action Plan responding to the Bercow Review in December 2008.

Tokyo marathon Marcus Everard completed the Tokyo Marathon in just over 3½ hours. He has a fundraising target of £5000.

Peter Kissagizlis recognised for work on cluttering The International Cluttering Association has honoured Peter Kissagizlis with a lifetime achievement award for services to the promotion of awareness of cluttering.

Wales and the West Open Day, Cardiff, 2008 Around 90 people packed into the hall of St Marks Church in Cardiff for the third of our Open Days in 2008, celebrating the 30th Anniversary of BSA.

London Open Day, 2008 More than 85 people attended our London Open Day at Bethnal Green. The event was organised by BSA trustee Tanveer Rameez Ali.

New Year Honour Dr Steve Davis of University College London has been awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours list, for his services to children with communication disorders.

London 10km run - July 2008 BSA's 8 runners completed the race despite wind and rain, and have raised over £3000 plus gift aid.

Norwich Open Day, 2008 Events around the country to help celebrate BSA's 30th Anniversary kicked off with a successful Norwich Open Day in April.

Queen's Prize for City Lit The Queen's Anniversary Prize, honouring outstanding achievement and excellence in UK universities and colleges, has been awarded to City Lit, for their internationally recognised work with adults who stammer.

Landy Rally 2007 sponsored event Craig and Louise Tweedie's Landy Rally drive in September 2007 raised over £1350 for BSA. The rally covered 8 European countries in 7 days - 2300 miles!

Stand up - Speak up! BSA Scotland at ELSA 2007 Four Scottish delegates attended this year's ELSA youth meeting, entitled 'Stand up, Speak up', along with Jan Anderson and a drama worker from TAG Theatre Company, Glasgow.

Scottish delegation to Croatia World Congress, 2007 Three delegates to provide a slice of their Congress experience. There are also videos of Congress workshops at www.personal-style.de/fc/worldcongress.

Bob Adams skydive Can you imagine standing at the edge of a door, looking out - looking down.....2 miles....knowing that in a few seconds time you will be falling at 120mph - for a mile?!?!

Cambridge Open Day, 2007 Over one hundred people who stammer, speech therapists, students and academics participated in the first open day run by the Cambridge self help group on 14th April.

BSA London Open Day 2006 Tanveer Ali, the organiser, writes about BSA's Open Day in Bethnal Green.

A Farewell to the Sunday Socials The final London Sunday social event held on 8th October 2006. The 'Stammering Socials' start in April 2007.

BSA Conference 2006, Telford Velda Osborne, chair of the organising committee, reflects on feedback from our September 2006 conference.

Knoydart summer social and fundraising event BSA Scotland's weekend event on the Knoydart peninsula in June 2006 was a resounding success, with a mix of stammering/non-stammering participants.

Stammering Awareness Day bag-packs, 2005 Bag-packs in London and Reading raised funds and stammering awareness for International Stammering Awareness Day.

Prestigious award BSA webmaster, Allan Tyrer, and three professionals who specialise in stammering have received awards from the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

Freedom to speak in Hyde Park Over 120 BSA members, family and friends came to a picnic in Hyde Park, in June 2005.

Trip to Stockholm conference Six members of the Sunday Socials group went to the Stockholm Stuttering Organisation conference in May. A trip to Finland is planned for 2006.

Visit to the Scottish Parliament Eight people who stammer gave evidence to the Equal Opportunites Committee - June 2005.

MBE for Roberta Lees Roberta Lees, one of the foremost UK researchers into stammering, has been awarded an MBE in this year's Birthday Honours List.

Aberdeen Open Day 2005 82 people came to BSA Scotland's first Open Day in April 2005. Speakers included Shona Robison, MSP.

BSA Christmas Party, 2004 Almost 120 people celebrated our third Christmas party at the Bonnington Hotel in London, in December 2004.

Hull Open Day 2004 and Sunday Socials weekend Open Day organised by Hull & East Yorkshire Stammerers Self-Help Group, with the Sunday Socials group coming for the weekend.

BSA National Conference 2004 Stirling BSA's largest conference so far, held in Scotland. You can can hear the conference song.

Stammering Awareness Day Bag-packs 2004 Thank you to all who helped us raise over £2,700 at our supermarket bag-packs this October.

World Congress for People Who Stutter, 2004 First reports from the World Congress in Perth, Western Australia. The event happens every three years - the next is 2007 in Croatia.

Wrestling with words Listen online to this BBC programme on stammering, originally broadcast in February 2004.

BSA 25th anniversary party On Sunday 7 December 2003 more than 100 people joined in the celebrations to commemorate the BSA 25th anniversary...

International Stammering Awareness Day 2003 ISAD this year saw the launch of our School CD-R0Ms, and a 'Bring a Pound to Work or School Day.'

European Year 2003 was the European Year of People with Disabilities.

Silver Jubilee conference, Leeds Pictures and articles from our 25th anniversary conference.

Trans-Icelandic Challenge 2003 Dominic Edwards has successfully completed his Iceland coast to coast trek in aid of BSA. Dominic completed the challenge in just 9 days. He is still happy to accept sponsorship.

Snowdon Challenge 2003 Eleven intrepid walkers climbed Snowdon 1, 2 or 3 times, raising money for BSA. August 2003.

3 Peaks Challenge Up Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon in aid of BSA. June 2003.

Radio 4 Appeal Thank to our patron Margaret Drabble and all who contributed for helping to make our recent Radio 4 Appeal the most successful yet.

Sheffield Communication Open Day A clear 'MISSION ACCOMPLISHED' from Sheffield Speakeasy's event in June 2003.

Feel the power of a bag-pack A team of almost 25 BSA volunteers packed shopping bags for hundreds of grateful Leeds shoppers on Easter Saturday 2003, who in turn gave £1100 to BSA's work.

BSA Christmas Lunch Party - "Euston, we have lift off" December 2002 - a first for BSA. Rachel Albert writes about the party she organised.

Christmas cracker concert in Kilmarnock BSA's joint fundraising concert with West Sound radio in Scotland last December raised almost £3000.

Many thanks to Christmas Appeal donors The 2002 Christmas Appeal has been very successful, thanks to a wonderful response from all our members.

Hull Open Day 2002 October 2002 - organised by the Hull & East Yorkshire Stammerers Self-Help Group. Rachel Albert writes about her visit.

Bungee for BSA Bob Adams and Simon Zipperlen have successfully completed a tandem bungee jump in aid of BSA.

Conference 2002 Pictures of our London conference last September

Lands End to John o'Groats Stephen Sheasby's 1100 mile cycle ride in aid of BSA also helped overcome a fear - of talking about stammering.

Look back at previous BSA conferences