I had the pleasure of instructing on the recent Manchester Course alongside the experienced and inspiring Ashley Guerin.

What an experience, and what an atmosphere everyone helped create throughout the course.

Zabaida Bi kindly agreed to take on the organiser role again, which allowed me to focus more on instructing rather than Regional Director duties.

With a huge number of coaches in attendance, the eight new students and graduates received an incredible amount of support throughout the course.

When meeting the new students before and on the first day of the course, it is often difficult for them to fully believe that this programme can help them until they experience it for themselves.

It was incredibly rewarding by Thursday to see their belief grow as they learned and understood more of the physical techniques we taught them. This helped them face their fears head-on and gave them practical ways to gain control of their speech – something many had never previously experienced.

On Friday, we focused more on the psychological side of stuttering, helping students understand how to reduce the negative thoughts and feelings that can develop after years of avoidance, struggle, and using tricks to try to get words out. This is a huge confidence builder, as it shows people who stutter that the fear, shame, and isolation often associated with stuttering can be reduced, even if they have lived with those feelings for many years.

Saturday is all about bringing the techniques together and having fun speaking. It’s about discovering our own speaking personality, letting go, and enjoying communication – something many people who stutter have not experienced for a long time.

Seeing the change in people over just four days is difficult to imagine until you experience it yourself.

A special thank you to all the amazing coaches and graduates who attended – not only to continue working on their own speech, but also to help, support, and coach the new students. Their commitment helps new students experience that huge increase in confidence and control, enabling them to move beyond stuttering and become the best speakers they can be – even with a stutter.

Matt Wilton