Centre of excellence to help stammer children

A £2.5m centre of excellence to help children who stammer is to be built in West Yorkshire to cater for afflicted children across the north of England.

The Prince of Wales launched an appeal yesterday to raise 2m for the centre, following an announcement by Schools Secretary Ed Balls that the Government will provide an initial 500,000.

The new site will be built in either Leeds or Bradford and Mr Balls said the plan is to get the service up and running within the next 12 months.

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"We want to start the service and then find the building," he said. "This will be a Bradford-Leeds partnership that will act as a hub for the North. It will outreach into other areas such as Newcastle, Liverpool and North Wales."

Launching the appeal at Clarence House in London yesterday, the Prince of Wales said he was backing the new centre in memory of his grandfather King George VI, who was afflicted with a stammer for a number of years.

"My grandfather's stammer cut him off from his parents and his brothers and sisters and drove him into himself," Prince Charles said. "He experienced that awful fear of being different to others.

"My grandfather was fortunate enough to receive speech therapy to overcome his condition.

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"It struck me how vulnerable and alone one must feel when the ability to communicate is inhibited."

The prince said it is far easier to treat children at a young age.

Former Monty Python actor Michael Palin is also backing the appeal, which is being organised by the ARSC (Association of Research into Stammering in Childhood).

The first centre for stammering in London was named after Palin following his role in the hit film A Fish Called Wanda, in which he portrayed a character called Ken who stammered.

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He based the role on his father who suffered from stammering all his life.

"My father had a stammer. It was always ignored and it blighted his life," Palin said. "We're hoping that the expertise we have gained in London can be shared around the country."

Mr Balls also talked yesterday about his own childhood stammer, for which he received no help.

"I've always had it and it never goes," he said. "I really became aware of it in secondary school. I was on my own but I was very persistent.

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"We are now saying to parents: 'Speak up about it and get some help'."

More than 3,500 children and their parents have been supported at the Michael Palin Centre in London since it opened in March 1993.

"The new centre of excellence in West Yorkshire will mean more accessible support for thousands more children across the country," said Mr Balls.

Health Secretary Andy Burnham added: "This extra money will make a huge difference for hundreds of young people. I feel particularly strongly that children in the north of England should have better access to specialist support.

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"We can do more to give all children the best possible start in life, particularly those whose self-esteem and self-confidence may be low because of a stammer."

The NHS in Yorkshire and the Humber is working closely with the ARSC on the development of the centre.

AFFLICTION WITH NO SIMPLE CURE

n Stammering is a much misunderstood medical condition which has no simple cure, but experts believe it can be greatly helped through speech therapy.

n There are many famous names associated with the problem including Moses, King George VI, Pop Idol Gareth Gates, singer Carly Simon, comedian Rowan Atkinson, writer Margaret Drabble and designer Bruce Oldfield.

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n No-one knows the exact causes but experts agree a combination of factors such as genetic predisposition can make children more vulnerable. Stammering tends to run in families and scientists believe a genetic link will be found.

n According to ARSC (the Association for Research into Stammering in Childhood) around five per cent of children stammer. It usually begins between the ages of two and five.

n Most children overcome it, with or without help, while one per cent will continue to stammer into adulthood.