If you search the Charity Commission website for Empowering Voices, you will see that I’m a trustee; dig a little deeper and discover that I am the chairperson.
As the chairperson, I try to listen, aid communication, and encourage the team at Empowering Voices.
As Empowering Voices grew, it became clear that our team was more powerful and talented than we could have imagined. Our social media posts and website were turbocharged and became professional, our course material was reviewed by people mentoring stammerers over decades, policies and procedures were tweaked, and fundraising teams were established.
Everyone who volunteers with Empowering Voices has done so, not out of a sense of duty or responding to a prompt, but out of an overriding desire to help people who stammer.
There is an intangible bond between stammerers, and once we understand the feeling of taming a stammer, we want to open a window to fear-free speech for others.
When you are part of a charity, and no one gets paid, the reward comes in spades, but not as money. It’s incredible being able to help strangers and support friends. The spirit that develops around a community of stammerers is astonishing, and the sense of fulfilment in helping someone say something they couldn’t before is immensely satisfying. There is a natural bond between stammerers, a feeling of belonging, safety and “my tribe”.
As Empowering Voices continues to grow, the community grows with it. As the community grows, we reach more stammerers and give them the option to control their speech using costal breathing.
The trustees, committee members and mentors of Empowering Voices are in an envious position: we can help people who are just like us, just like we were helped when we started our costal breathing journey.
If you are interested in Empowering Voices' work, get involved. We would like to hear from you.
Ian Trevor
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