Trustee election: Meet the candidates

Monday 1st July 2024 - 11:37

It's Trustee election time again, where you our members choose who you want to join the STAMMA Board Trustees. Read about each of the candidates here.

Each year, up to two Trustees step down from the STAMMA Board and we elect two new ones to help guide our charity over the next few years. This year, 4 people have put themselves forward as candidates. You can learn more about them and what they aim to bring to STAMMA below.

If you a STAMMA Member, you should have received the nomination form in an email so you can cast your votes now. The deadline is Sunday 28th July, so cast your vote now! If you haven't received it, drop us a line at hello@stamma.org

What we asked candidates

We asked each candidate to tell us:

About themselves and the difference they hope to make.
What they can bring to the role. This year we've said we have a particular need for candidates with skills and expertise in the areas of equality, diversity and inclusion; fundraising and income generation; corporate experience; supporting and representing young people; developing and delivering programmes to influence and create change.
How they plan to meet our commitment expectations in terms of availability, and how they can manage this alongside their current responsibilities.
Their social media links, if they want to share them.

Candidate profiles

Yubo Lin

Tell us about yourself and what difference you hope to make as a potential Trustee.

Yubo Lin

Hello, my name is Yubo Lin. After I got my MSc from the University of Essex, I moved to Cambridge as a hardware engineer working at ARM Ltd. I have lived with a stammer since I was a child.

As a potential Trustee, I hope I can raise more concern about the difficulties faced by students and graduates who stammer living in society and find a potential solution. I also hope more people can realise how some NHS speech and language therapy services are inaccessible and how expensive it is to go private.

Explain the skills and experience that you will bring to the role.

Experience in developing programmes to influence and create change: I have experience, both in university and at work, in joining and developing programmes to educate young students. I have spent my summer breaks volunteering on an education programme for children.

Expertise in delivering an ambitious programme of fundraising: Although I haven't had any leading roles in fundraising, I do join fundraising events often and have some experience and knowledge about that. I also donate to charities on a regular basis.

Corporate experience: During my working days, I always try to help people in the workplace understand more about stammering and I want to do more about that.

Expertise in equality, diversity and inclusion: I have lived with a stammer since I was a child.

Are you aged between 16-25?: Yes. I am in that range.

How will you meet our commitment expectations in terms of your availability? How do you plan to manage this alongside any current responsibilities?

I will use my off-work time and weekends to meet expectations (and some workdays if needed by using volunteering leave) including, but not limited to: joining the meetings, fundraising for more money, encouraging people to donate, making more people aware about that, etc. There won't be any bad outcomes if I take this role whilst working on my job. It will be a win-win because I can have more confidence and responsibilities to help more people understand stammering, whilst helping people who stammer with their careers.

John Russell

Tell us about yourself and what difference you hope to make as a potential Trustee.

John Russell

I have been a member of STAMMA/BSA for many years, and have been fortunate to have spoken to groups about stammering and the work of STAMMA, and been involved with raising funds for the charity.

New ideas are what keeps an organisation fresh, so I feel my skill is in listening to, and hopefully being receptive to, new/innovative ideas. I also think I can add value by continuing with fundraising and assisting with giving talks to raise stammering awareness. I would also class myself as having a lot of enthusiasm.

After almost 40 years working in office-based employment and supporting adults with long-term mental health issues, I am now semi-retired. I also volunteer at my local church café as well as on the STAMMA Helpline/Webchat.

Explain the skills and experience that you will bring to the role.

I have experience in delivering talks about stammering and the work of BSA/STAMMA to groups such as Lions and Round Table groups, and I have been involved with organising and taking part in fundraising activities such as parachute jumps. I would look to help build relationships with supermarkets in an effort to build up our supporter base, and having fundraising experience would be an asset.

STAMMA is working to ensure that everyone whose lives are affected by stammering - not just people who stammer - are able to benefit from their services. This would be a must for me. Ensuring that everyone is included. A strong organisation is one where everyone is included and made to feel welcome.

How will you meet our commitment expectations in terms of your availability? How do you plan to manage this alongside any current responsibilities?

As I am now semi-retired, I am in the fortunate position of being able to manage my own time. Being organised, knowing what is happening or needs doing on certain days will be key for me.

Social media links: John Russell's Facebook page.

Lucy Weldon

Tell us about yourself and what difference you hope to make as a potential Trustee.

Lucy Weldon

My name is Lucy, I am 28 and whilst I do not stammer myself, I have been around it my whole life as my brother has stammered from a young age. I've witnessed first-hand the challenges he has dealt with and have learned to adapt my listening and communication skills as a result. As my brother prepares to leave university and enter the world of work, I am increasingly aware that the way he views his stammer may change as he faces new challenges, especially when applying for corporate jobs.

I hope to be able to raise awareness of stammering in the corporate world, to both change the perception of and reduce prejudice against non-fluent speaking in interviews and in the workplace more generally, to help make the complex transition to the corporate world easier for young people, allowing them to have the same opportunities as their fluent peers.

Explain the skills and experience that you will bring to the role.

I have worked within the wealth management industry for the last 6 years, initially at a larger firm and recently I downsized to a multi-family office working as a relationship manager. My role focuses on managing the firm's high value existing client relationships and relies on strong communication and relationship building skills. I have developed a wide professional network within the broader financial services industry and believe that I can support STAMMA's plan to transform the way organisations work to include people that stammer, an area I feel very passionate about.

I am able to connect with some large financial firms to increase awareness of stammering and help change how it's perceived in the workplace and would hope to get in front of HR departments and senior management to discuss running workshops and building education around giving those who stammer equal opportunities at interviews and beyond into their careers. I am highly organised, personable and motivated, as well as being (just) in the Gen Z bracket and so hope to resonate with younger people and corporate participants alike.

How will you meet our commitment expectations in terms of your availability? How do you plan to manage this alongside any current responsibilities?

I have now completed all of my professional qualifications and so am able to dedicate time to working on the board of STAMMA. I am particularly keen to give back and home in on the skills I have developed in my career so far and help deliver and accelerate the incredibly important work that STAMMA does. I understand the importance of meeting targets on time and am an extremely reliable team player. I am aware of the time commitments and am ready to commit and can be available for trustee meetings in person and/or on Zoom as needed.

Oliver Wills

Tell us about yourself and what difference you hope to make as a potential Trustee.

Oliver Wills

I have stammered since I was a child and although I now consider my stammer more covert, it has had an impact on my confidence and has left me with a real empathy for those significantly affected by their stammer. I have only been a member of STAMMA for little over a year, but in that time I feel as though I have learned significantly more about stammering, the culture around it and myself.

I had never understood how much passing as fluent had been affecting me and never read so many relatable testimonies. The ideal to create a more inclusive culture wherein stammering is seen as nothing more than a difference, as well as the other laudable aims and missions of STAMMA, is something I now feel personally motivated to work towards. I would feel honoured to be a trustee and feel I can contribute to the already brilliant organisation.

Explain the skills and experience that you will bring to the role.

I currently work in the commercial department of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU). Within my current role I have developed skills in customer service, event management, marketing and administration, which I believe can be brought to STAMMA to continue to improve the offering to those seeking support and guidance.

I also am part of the Inclusion Network of the WRU; an inter-department working group that is helping to develop the equality, diversity and inclusion strategy for the organisation. This is a personal passion that I would love to take to STAMMA, bringing not only my experience from work but also from my degree from the University of Exeter, from which I graduated in 2022. My degree, being in Anthropology, has given me an understanding of how pervasive culture can be and what needs to be done to change it for the better. In addition, my degree also has given me practical skills in qualitative research and written communication.

I am currently 25, and I hope my perspective as a younger trustee of STAMMA can help to support the Youth Panel and offer diverse perspectives to the organisation.

How will you meet our commitment expectations in terms of your availability? How do you plan to manage this alongside any current responsibilities?

As a prospective trustee at the start of my career, I am both keen and able to set aside time to develop my skills and interests in areas outside of work, and I have the encouragement of my employer and family to do so. As someone working in the spectator sports industry, I am already used to and happy to work on evenings and weekends. When working on something I feel so passionately about, I always find time and go above and beyond to contribute in a way I can feel proud of. I would not take the responsibility of being a trustee lightly.

Social media links: Oliver Wills's LinkedIn profile.