Hi everyone,

It is a great pleasure to have been elected as the new Convenor of BSA Scotland and, though a little daunting, I look forward to a challenging and rewarding year. A lot has been achieved to date - and I hope that I can build on the successes of my predecessor, Frank Geoghegan-Quinn (ably assisted by members of the Steering Committee and Jan Anderson) to further develop the Scottish Branch and really make a difference to the lives of those who stammer north of the border.

I am sure that you would like to know a little bit more about me and hear of my hopes for BSA Scotland. I have stammered since I was 7 years old. I am 36 now and have become quite good at overt stammering (trying to hide it being akin to hiding a football under a rug!) I have many years' experience of speech therapy (mostly in the NHS) and enjoy helping to run a self-help group for those who stammer in Glasgow (www.safetyinstumblers.org.uk).

As a result of my experiences, I know there is a lack of awareness of stammering in Scotland and that many children and adults who stammer, particularly in rural areas, find it difficult to access speech therapy and other support services. It is also clear that the time allocated to stammering in the training of speech and language therapists is limited and there is sometimes a poor understanding of stammering amongst health professionals.

BSA Scotland has an important role to play in: raising awareness of stammering in Scotland; ensuring that those in the Scottish Parliament are aware of the needs of those affected by stammering; delivering events and helping to improve services. Working as the BSA Scotland Committee, I am confident we can go onwards and upwards to increase membership and fundraising, raise awareness of stammering north of the border, influence the Scottish Parliament and instigate Scottish campaigns and projects. I am certainly ready to do my bit in the next twelve months and if you bump into me on my travels please say hello...oh, and if you're of a mind, mine's a whisky.

Regards,

John Mann
Convener, BSA Scotland
November 2005

Frank Geoghegan-Quinn - tribute to the BSA Scotland Convenor, October 2004 - 2005

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