1.  Finance

There will always be various costs in running a self-help group, so some thought is needed about how to raise the money.

A necessary decision will be whether you need a voluntary treasurer.  It might also be necessary to have a volunteer who would be in charge of fundraising.

There maybe people or companies in your area that would be prepared to give small donations for some of your expenses.  Your expenses would be reduced, if there was no rental charge for the place where you met.  However there will always be some expenses to advertise meetings and preparing posters or leaflets or photocopying to attract new members.

Funds can also be raised at specially arranged events.

2. Publicity

Initially, and also at regular intervals, your local self-help group should be advertised.  There will be various ways of doing this.

Send an e-mail containing your thoughts to this website.
When TISA is functioning they may give you some advertising space.
Speech and health clinics may allow you to put a poster on a noticeboard.
SLPs who specialise in Stammering may agree to pass on a leaflet.
Use your local press.
Use your local radio TV.
Put posters in local meeting places, wherever there are noticeboards.
Be inventive, make overtures to all the different groups of people in your area, and ask if you can leave some leaflets or posters.
Possibly the best publicity is if, you with your stammer, can go and talk to groups of people, or go and talk on radio or TV, about what you're doing and why you're doing it.

 

3. Preschool and schoolchildren

If parents of children who stammer, or children themselves, contact you, you should have a clear policy in mind as to how you will cope.

You, and the group after discussion, may decide the group is for adults only. 

 

You may decide that children are allowed to attend provided there is a parent or guardian present to look after them.  If there are sufficient children you may decide it is worth having a children's meeting before the adult meeting.  You may also try to find an SLP with some expertise in children who stammer who would volunteer their time.

Your response may well be dictated by the help and resources you can obtain.

4. Questions

If you have any questions about any aspect of running the group, do not hesitate to e-mail us and we will try to help you.  
There is obviously a learning curve, but as more and more groups begin, and pass on some of their experience through the website more will be known and more help will be available for new groups.

 

When you start your group, please post your experiences on the website.  Everyone will be interested to read your ups and downs, your success your failure, and to generally learn from your experience.