Who We Are

Jane Powell, Chief Executive
Jane has worked in the voluntary sector and on campaigns all her life. She joined in 2018 after launching and running the charity CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably). She said, "It's an honour and a huge responsibility to be leading such an important organisation."

Kirsten Howells, Programme Lead for Adults
Kirsten joined the team in 2019, initially as a helpline volunteer. She's now the Programme Lead for Adults, coordinating our helpline and employment support services. Getting to work with and learn from lots of fabulous people who stammer and those around them, Kirsten says, "I definitely don't feel I have all the answers to a life with stammering, but I'm really passionate about supporting others in navigating the daily choices and challenges that stammering brings".

Jacqueline Fitzsimmons, Office Manager
Jacqueline first started working with the BSA back in 2000. Following a career break she returned in 2016 as Office Manager, using her wealth of knowledge to ensure that the day-to-day operational aspects of the charity run smoothly and efficiently.

Lee Millam, Helpline Manager
Lee has worked for the charity since 2008, managing the Information and Support Service and fundraising for it. They also work part-time for another charity focusing on volunteering and contribute podcasts to the academic website Pod Academy. Lee has also worked as a radio producer for independent and BBC radio.

Steven Halliday, Web Editor
Steven first worked for the BSA from 2009-2015, during which time he set up its social media presence and Facebook support group. He rejoined late in 2018 to take over on the website and said, "I used to really enjoy editing the old magazine Speaking Out, so am excited about showcasing the stories and experiences of people who stammer through the website."

Manisha Vora, Finance Officer
Manisha joined the team on a part-time basis in February 2019. With several years' experience in accounts and finance, she has worked with other charities and small partnership concerns, and is excited to be a part of STAMMA.

Elisabeth Wright, Support Services Administrator
Elisabeth is an experienced administrator and joined the team in November 2020. As a parent of a child who stammers, Elisabeth is passionate about the charity's work and said, "STAMMA has been a great help to me and my family. I feel excited and privileged to be part of the team, and to be joining them in making a real difference to people's lives".

Catherine Woolley, Programme Lead for Children & Families
Catherine also works as an NHS Specialist Speech & Language Therapist in the South of England. Since graduating she has explored an interest in changing public attitudes towards communication difficulties, including work with the University of Oxford. In 2018-2020 she completed a Masters at UCL exploring the impact that theatre can have on the public's attitudes towards people who stammer. Read Catherine's article 'Stammering and the power of theatre'.

Verena Meyners, Networks & Campaigns Lead
Vee has previously worked for Amnesty International and Victim Support as well as for the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative where she coordinated a global network of 60+ grassroots civil society organisations that work towards the eradication of modern-day slavery and human trafficking. She is experienced in communications, campaigns and events, and says, "I am excited to learn and grow in this role, to raise awareness and make a difference to people who stammer".

Vidya Bijarnia, Salesforce Administrator
Vidya joined us in March 2022 and is responsible for day-to-day customisation, automation and maintenance of our Salesforce database. She says, "I feel absolutely privileged to work for STAMMA, which has such a positive impact on society. In my free time I enjoy the great outdoors, yoga and music". 

Bel Rickard, Social Media Officer & Videographer
Bel joined STAMMA as a volunteer in June 2022 after completing her masters in Directing for Film and Television at Bournemouth University. She is now responsible for the social media posts as well as the photography and filming of events.

Neha Shaji, Comms & Social Media Manager
Neha's experience includes web management and graphic design for publishers and literary organisations including Huza Press and Africa Writes. She has also trained as a translator and interpreter, working across German, English and Korean. Neha said, "I am thrilled about working at STAMMA as their services helped me with a considerable amount of public speaking at university". Neha is currently pursuing a PhD and works for STAMMA part time.

Joanna Gaukroger (Chair)
"I have stammered as long as I can remember. I have had a successful career in further education, which has included working as Principal of Kensington & Chelsea and Tower Hamlets Colleges, as well as a period of five years as an education inspector. I am passionate about improving public attitudes and perceptions towards people who stammer, and in ensuring that we help all those who stammer to achieve their full potential — whatever that might be. I became a Trustee in 2020, and Chair in 2021."

Paul Fix (Vice Chair)
"I have always had a stammer and it's obvious — I don't try and hide it, it's part of who I am and how I talk. I'm Head of People Development and Volunteering for a national charity; working with people and making sure they fulfil their potential is at the core of what I enjoy doing. I'm passionate about ensuring STAMMA continues to grow, develop and maximise its potential by working with our members and volunteers."

Peter Bryan (Treasurer)
"I'm a recently-retired chartered accountant who has spent over 30 years in senior positions in a large financial services business, gaining a broad range of finance experience along the way. As a stammerer I am keen to 'give something back' and want to help STAMMA to grow and develop from a sound financial base by helping to provide insight and guidance from both a financial perspective as well as more broadly."

Naheem Bashir 
"I am an Experimental Psychologist at UCL. At the age of 18 I almost took my own life because of my stammer. However, through therapy and support I learned to see my stammer as a slingshot; it held me back, but now it's propelling me forward. I recently completed a PhD exploring the brains of people who stammer and using this information to develop more effective therapies. I also co-founded the London support group for people who stammer."

Gillian Rudd
"I am a Speech and Language Therapist and senior lecturer at Birmingham City University, and co-founder of the Birmingham Stammering Network. I've been a member of the BSA for over 15 years and feel privileged to be part of the Trustee board during such an exciting time of development and change." 

Chantal Anderson
"I want to use my experience within the Civil Service, the Army Cadets and the McGuire Programme to create further opportunities for people who stammer, to educate non-stammerers and make the general population better allies, to support people who stammer through important milestones, and pushing to ensure that people troubled by stammering are looked upon just as favourably as everyone else."

Rhian Binns
"I am a PR & Comms Manager and I've stammered from the age of 2. We need to make a stand that it's OK to stammer. It isn't something we should be ashamed of or scared of doing. Our stammers make us beautifully unique, and I want to be part of a great network that makes stammerers of all ages realise that they're not alone."

Deborah Johnston
"I have always stammered covertly. Through a successful career in higher education, I became passionate about claiming my space to stammer openly. It's important that stammered speech is heard and respected. I deeply believe in the importance of education in transforming lives and have been working with others to contribute to making universities positive places for people who stammer." 

James Mawrey
"I am Director of People and Deputy Chief Executive of an NHS trust in Greater Manchester. A key part of my role is ensuring that our staff feel supported to bring their whole selves to work, and in doing so, provide the very best of patient care. As someone who stammers, it's really important to me that it is normalised and that people with stammers feel confident and comfortable in their surroundings, both in and out of work."

Mandy Taylor
"I am previously from Northern Ireland but now based in Cheshire with my partner Pete and our 4 boys, working in finance for an integrated marketing agency in Manchester. Being on the board of Trustees is a fantastic opportunity to continue the work and progression of STAMMA and I look forward to seeing our charity continue to bring stammering forward to wider audiences, making the difference to all generations of people who stammer." 

Alexander Harrison
"I am a person who stammers and currently training to become a Speech and Language Therapist at the University of Sheffield, although I am originally from Manchester. It is an honour to have been elected by our members to join the Trustee board and I will bring energy and a commitment to changing outcomes for people who speak differently." 

Of the Trustees listed above, Gill is the only one who doesn't have a stammer. 

To see when each Trustee was elected or appointed, and the dates when their terms come to an end, click here.

In addition to our members, volunteers, fundraisers, trustees and staff, STAMMA, the British Stammering Association, is supported by our valued Patrons. 

Our Patrons have each been impacted uniquely by their stammer. They each consider it in a different way and we are keen to share their experiences, views and insights. They are, in alphabetical order:

Ed Balls 

Ed is a broadcaster and former MP. You can borrow his biography 'Speaking Out', in which he talks about his stammer, from our library. 

Kelly Brown

Kelly is a former Scotland International Rugby Captain. Watch him talking about his stammer in an interview he did with Rugby Pass: Life in rugby with a stammer. Kelly also features in a BBC Sport article: 'How two elite sportsmen learned to live with a stammer'.

James Davies 

James is an osteopath who has treated top celebrities including David Beckham, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Kylie Minogue, and has written a book called 'Body'. Read all about James and watch his interview with us.

Dame Margaret Drabble DBE

Margaret is a celebrated author. Watch Margaret talking about stammering and the power of words in this discussion with author David Mitchell. In 2001, she delivered a lecture at the invitation of the Oxford English Faculty. In it, Margaret said:

'The ability to speak fluently is a great asset in a literary career, and one much prized by publishers and publicists. Nevertheless, many of us find ourselves pressured or flattered or cajoled into making speeches against our better judgement.

'I was not cut out by my natural talents to be a lecturer or a public speaker. From an early age - the age of three, I am told - I suffered from a stammer, at times severe, though now very episodic and temperamental. So I could take the line that both Arnold Bennett and Somerset Maugham took when asked to speak in public, at after-dinner gatherings, or to literary societies. Both were severe stammerers, and both insisted that they didn't speak, they wrote. I could argue, though disingenuously, that my objections to the modern commercial literary circus spring from the fact that I entered it with a handicap, and that I feel that, as a writer, I am being expected to display skills or abilities that I do not possess.'

David Mitchell

David is an acclaimed author. Watch him talking about stammering and the power of words in this discussion with author Margaret Drabble. You can borrow David's novel 'Black Swan Green', a semi-biographical book about a boy who stammers, from our library. David also made a keynote speech to the World Congress for People who Stutter in 2013, titled '13 Ways to Look at a Stammer', which you can watch here, or read the transcript here.

Scroobius Pip

Pip is an actor, podcaster, spoken word artist and musician. Listen to a special edition of his podcast 'Distraction Pieces', where he talks with three people who stammer.

Arwel Richards

Arwel is a businessman and broadcaster. Watch his short video 'Stammering doesn't have to hold you back'.

Owen Sheers

Owen is a novelist, poet, playwright and presenter. Read more about Owen in our news article here and watch our interview with him.

Jon Smith OBE

Jon is an agent with a high profile in the sports and entertainment arenas, and in his biography 'The Deal', he talks about his stammer and how he developed public speaking skills for his continuous media work.

Baroness Janet Whitaker

Read our interview with the politician, Baroness Janet Whitaker, in which she talks about coping with her stammer in Parliament.

Former patrons

Our former Patrons include:

Jonathan Miller CBE (1934-2019)

Jonathan Miller, Writer, presenter, humourist and medical doctor, sadly passed away in November 2019. Read our Tribute to Jonathan Miller, which includes a transcription of his Parkinson interview where he talked about his stammer.

Nicholas Parsons CBE (1923-2020)

One of our longest-standing patrons, legendary entertainer Nicholas Parsons died in January 2020. Read what he did for the charity in our Tribute to Nicholas Parsons. You can also read the chapter of his autobiography where he talks about his experiences of stammering.

Our President was Brian Dodsworth, who sadly passed away on 10th April 2021. Read our tribute 'Remembering Brian Dodsworth'.

In October 2020, we picked up three awards at the Third Sector Excellence Awards.

They were for:

• Brand Development
• Volunteer of the Year (John Russell)
• Chair of the Year (Tim Fell).

Read all about it our our article 'STAMMA wins 3 awards'.