My own experience of a stammerers' self-help group was in South Wales. Although most of the half dozen members had prior experience of such groups, we met weekly in the speech therapy hut of the local hospital. We stuck to a routine which included practising our fluency techniques by reading each other intimate letters from the problem pages of women's magazines and discussing possible solutions. We did other things too - but our "Woman's Hour" was certainly the most memorable!

Sadly, our group no longer exists, but for me the experience highlighted many of the strengths and weaknesses which most self-help groups have in common. These are discussed in Mai Wann's "Building Social Capital", which looks at the development in Britain and Europe of most categories of self-help and sets an agenda for their enhanced role in a twenty first century welfare state.

Most importantly groups offer reduced isolation, mutual support and a sense of sharing and empathy, as exemplified by Alcoholics Anonymous. Common difficulties include inexperience, a lack of back-up facilities and inconsistency over long periods of time. Groups in remote areas where populations are both small and scattered face special challenges.

Mai Wann argues convincingly that overall, self-help activities make a significant contribution to the health and wellbeing of the population and to the wealth of society. She concludes with a number of recommendations, including the public funding of voluntary organisations to provide expertise and resource for self-help groups.

Finances permitting, there is clearly a greater role for the BSA to provide practical support for self-help groups throughout the country. Since our membership now includes the parents of stammering children, it may in addition be appropriate to encourage self-help for them too.

Governments in the twenty first century and society in general are going to have to make some tough decisions about what the NHS and welfare state are fro and which services can no longer be afforded. The danger is that self-help for stammerers may be seen as a cheap alternative to funding professional therapy.

Reviewed in the Spring 1996 issue of 'Speaking Out' by Martin Buckridge.

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