Help for stammerers in Cardiff

The McGuire Programme is holding a four-day Speech Improvement course on February 13th in Cardiff for people who suffer from a stammer, which culminates in graduates giving public speeches on a soapbox in the city centre.

The McGuire Programme is the speech course that helped pop idol star Gareth Gates overcome his stammer and go on to become a speech instructor himself, helping to give support to other people with stammers. Everyone working on the McGuire Programme is a recovering stammerer who has been through the course themselves.

The Cardiff course will be run by instructors Antony Harker, who has been with the McGuire Programme for ten years, and Alan Rogers, who joined in October 2003 in Chester. Antony has not instructed a course since Harrogate in 1999 and Alan completed his first course instruction in Chesterfield in September 2006.

Attendees of the course learn new techniques to become strong eloquent speakers and to be able to handle all the fears and challenges associated with having a stammer. After only three days of the course the students, who often are unable to say their name when starting the programme, are able to speak in public.

WHERE: The Wynford Hotel, Cardiff
WHEN: 13th – 17th February 2008

The McGuire Programme was founded in 1994, and is unique in that every trainer is themselves a recovering stammerer. Although there is no known cure for the condition, the programme teaches breathing techniques to help sufferers control their speech, as well as assertiveness training. This is combined with a sports mentality and strong follow-up support.

The McGuire Programme is recognised by the British Stammering Association as an effective therapy for stammering. Further information on this event and details of all courses can be found at Mcguireprogramme.com.