Volunteers' Week 2021

3rd June 2021

Celebrating our amazing volunteers this Volunteers' Week (1st-7th June). 

STAMMA is a small organisation that punches well above its weight. But there's a secret ingredient that makes that happen… volunteer power. 

This National Volunteers' Week, we'd like to take this opportunity to celebrate our team and hear why our brilliant volunteers do what they do.

See how you can volunteer for STAMMA

We have a huge team of volunteers working across a wide range of tasks and roles, including: 

• fundraising
• helpline, webchat and email support 
• facilitating local groups, parent groups and networks 
• hosting and co-producing the Around the Block podcast 
• leading STAMMA Social events 
• writing Your Voice articles and book reviews for the website 
• creating resources 
• planning and implementing projects 
• reviewing our processes and ways of working
• moderating our Facebook support group 
• providing training sessions
• serving on our Board of Trustees
• getting involved in the nitty-gritty of our campaigns 
• providing Zoom admin for workshops and meetings 
• helping to plan next year's conference, and much, much more! 

Without our volunteers, STAMMA would be so much less. Volunteering their time, experience and knowledge, alongside their own jobs and other commitments, our volunteers help the organisation and the support we provide to develop. Even after such an uncertain year, they have kindly and selflessly given their time to help make a difference for those who stammer. And we couldn't be more grateful. 

To each and everyone of you, we send a huge thank you. You are, quite simply, amazing. 

Here are a few comments from our volunteers on why they do it:

"I've had a lot of people helping me with my stammer over the years, and I feel I have a lot of experience to give back."

"It has been a privilege to be part of the helpline team and to feel that listening to callers and encouraging them to look at options and giving information has helped me to feel that my experience of stammering might be of use to younger people and parents."

"I like to carry the message that we're not alone with our stammers. I used to think that I was very unusual in having a stammer, sometimes felt like the only person in the world."

"It's been a way to be involved. To make stammering something constructive in my life. To be part of something that's bigger than me."

"It brings me joy to support others that are confronting similar issue to those I've faced."

"I volunteer because it gives me an opportunity to offer empathy and a listening ear. So often this is all we need and can be very empowering, but can be rare to come by. Volunteering gives me the time to offer this fully."

"I am motivated to volunteer for STAMMA because I received great help from a City Lit course back in the 80s which took me on my IT sales career journey. It was a great honour to become a STAMMA Trustee and serve a three-year term. I am now volunteering for the helpline and other projects since retiring last year, and I am looking forward to supporting my STAMMA community going forward."

"My motivation lies in the fact that I didn't know about of any of the help available back when I could have done with it most. Hoping that by doing various things we reach those who want it and also reach the radar of people who need support but don’t know there is help available."

"My motivation was to be a positive part of the stammering community. Difficulties experienced by people who stammer are always relieved by friendship with others who stammer. More than that, stammering creates strange and wonderful possibilities for friendship. I have begun to unwrap this gift contained in stammering, and I want to help others do the same."

"I had a desire to give something back."

"Being a part of the terrific team is something quite special, extremely rewarding and so important to pass on to anyone who may be experiencing what it is to stammer. We're here to help, share the load and 'just' be there."

If you would like to join our fantastic team of volunteers, go to our Volunteer page and find out the different ways you can help.