Meet the team of dedicated committee members and volunteers who keep Scottish Stammering Network thriving
John Mann
Trustee and Co-ChairpersonI am married to Cora and live in Glasgow. My occupation is as a Project Manager with a Housing Association.
I have stammered from the age of 7. In this time, I have attended numerous speech therapy courses and have had long-term involvement in stammering charities and self-help groups. In particular, I helped set up and run the Safety in Stumblers self-help group for those who stammer. This lasted for 10 years. I was also the Convenor of the Scottish Branch of the British Stammering Association. All of this has helped to improve my confidence and has taught me that stammering is only a small part of us. We are capable of doing anything we set our minds to. It was great to be involved when the Scottish Stammering Network was established and long may it continue to provide essential services and support to people who stammer.
Megan Hart
Trustee and Co-ChairpersonI am a paediatric Speech and Language Therapist working in the NHS and a committee member of the Scottish Dysfluency Clinical Excellence Network. I became involved with the Scottish Stammering Network in 2014 when I was a student, as stammering is a clinical area I find very interesting. Over the last few years, I have been proud to be a trustee of the charity and take on my current role as C0-Chairperson. Attending support groups and open days organised by the Scottish Stammering Network has given me the opportunity to hear the personal experiences of people who stammer. This has enhanced my clinical practice when working with children and young people.
The SSN has been expanding its work by offering an online support group for parents of children who stammer, which I am involved in alongside Fiona and Mhairi. I am also part of the organising team for the annual ‘Walk n Talk’ weekends. Being involved in all of this is topped off by having the privilege to work alongside a great group of people who are inspiring and motivated to change the way people view stammering.
James Stewart
Trustee and TreasurerI am one of the founders of the charity and was Chairperson until September 2021. I’ve had a stammer for as long as I can remember. Until my early 20s, it used to define how I viewed the world. Things changed in 2007 when I went back to speech therapy and attended a support group run by John Mann in Glasgow. I gained a different outlook on life. From this, I now enjoy things like public speaking and have a job that requires lots of different types of communication. I still stammer but it no longer has a negative effect on my life.
I’m really proud of everything the Scottish Stammering Network has achieved, which is a testament to the dedication of everyone involved. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for our charity.
John McIntosh
Trustee and SecretaryI’m John McIntosh and I’ve been involved in the SSN for about 6 years. You might have seen me on one of our ‘Hear the Person’ videos talking about my dad’s funeral. I’m 60 and retired in 2019 after 25 years teaching English. I’ve stammered my whole life and have tried several remedies and approaches to make it better. Speech therapy as a kid and an adult, hypnotism, self-help books etc.
But the thing that gave me the most sense of control over my speech was getting involved with the McGuire Programme in 2004. It was and is hard work, but I was at such a low point that I was willing to do whatever it took to find a way forward. My stammer will always be with me, but I think we’ve learned to get along together a lot better now.
Bill Nicol
TrusteeWith over 55 years of stammering experience. My speech has resulted in a roller-coaster over the years. After a long hiatus, I started to look at ways of addressing my stammer. I have found self-help groups and a holistic approach very helpful.
Will you?
Cheryl King
TrusteeI found the Scottish Stammering Network purely by chance in late 2017 – the year I turned 40 – and I am so glad I did! In April 2018 I had plucked up enough courage to attend the Edinburgh Open Day. That day was the day that I finally accepted my stammer and my life changed for the better! Probably for the first time ever I was in a room with other people who spoke a bit like me. It was so liberating, and I no longer felt so alone or isolated. On the train back to Fife I had a huge smile on my face. Without a doubt, a tremendous weight had suddenly lifted from my shoulders.
Not long after the open day – still on an absolute high – I contacted James, our former chairperson, about starting a Fife support group. In August 2018 I hosted my first meeting in Kirkcaldy.
Tim Niven
TrusteeI am Tim and have dealt with a stutter as long as I can remember.
I work at university and the NHS. At school, I was covert and went to great lengths to try and conceal it. This made school not a whole lot of fun. I have tried traditional language and speech interventions. While these helped for a short period, they did not last the test of time or under pressure. I use a breathing and speaking technique to manage the stutter but still have many reminders! Speaking now is often fun including telephone calls, Zoom sessions and face to face interviews.
I have experienced prejudice and discrimination in relation to the stutter and actively raise awareness and challenge perceptions on it. I have been a trustee of the SSN for a number of years and fundraise for the charity.