If you stammer, or if you are the friend or relative of someone who stammers or intend to work with people who stammer, please join us for our next meeting in room A202 of the Samuel Alexander Building:

http://www.conference.manchester.ac.uk/venues/search/details/?property=23

The Samuel Alexander Building is near the Academy music venue, and the Student's Union, on the University of Manchester campus. It's a 10-15 minute walk from Oxford Road station, and is easily accessible from Piccadilly station for just 80p on the 147:

http://www.route147.co.uk/

If coming by car, you can usually find free parking on Cecil Street or Acomb Street. Put M15 6GD into your SatNav to find these streets. If there aren't any spaces, you could try the University of Manchester car park at the end of Cecil Street, or the Contact Theatre car park nearby (both around £4). You could also look for free parking further afield, such as the Science Park or on Burlington Street.

Please arrive at 6:45pm for a 7pm. The meeting will end at 9pm. Those who wish to are welcome to join us in a nearby pub immediately following the meeting – this can be a great opportunity to practice speech in a social setting :-). This is probably an appropriate place to point out that the group is only open to those over 16 years old, although children or younger teenagers who stammer are welcome to attend with a parent or guardian. The group is always open to the parents of children who stammer.

Reply to this email, or send us a message via the Facebook group (search for "Manchester Stammering"), to get a contact phone number in case you can't find us. The Facebook group will also give you an idea of what's covered at the meeting. We've got group members who have attended the McGuire, Starfish and CityLit programmes, along with current or former trustees of the British Stammering Association, speech and language therapists (both qualified, or trainees), researchers in stuttering, and of course a large network of people who stutter.

It will help us to run the meeting if you can confirm your attendance in advance. However, showing up on the day is fine as well :-)

FAQs

What's the postcode of the venue?

M13 9PP. On Google maps, this will direct you to the library, which is in the same quadrangle as the Samuel Alexander building. When you get to the quadrangle, stand directly in front of the big TV screen, and the Samuel Alexander building is the one on the right, a red brick building with a white portico arch.

What are my public transport options for getting to and from the event?

The nearest train station is Manchester Oxford Road. From there, the venue is a 10 minute walk (or 15 minutes at a comfortable pace). The route is well served by buses – most buses heading away from the city centre, along Oxford Road, will stop outside the venue. You should exit Oxford Road station, and look for the clock tower of "The Principal" hotel directly ahead of you. Head right and go down the big set of steps, then cross the road to the bus stop under the bridge and the clocktower. The Magic Bus, and several operated by First, cost £1.50. Don't expect to wait more than a minute for a bus to come :-)

You might come into Manchester Piccadilly. If so, the 147 (http://www.route147.co.uk/) offers the cheapest and most direct route. Head out of Piccadilly down the escalators. Continue heading straight out of the doors, across the taxi rank and towards a bus stop directly ahead of you. Cross the road to the bus stop on the other side. The 147 stops under the bridge. If you're having difficulty finding the stop, ask people where the "Star and Garter" pub is – the bus stop is nearby. The 147 runs every 10 minutes, and costs 80p.

You might come into Manchester Victoria. If so, there may be a direct bus from the station, but I don't know the number - let me know if you find out! I'm fairly sure there is a direct bus from Shudehill Interchange. There are definitely direct buses from Piccadilly Gardens. However, these are the same buses which run past Manchester Oxford Road station, which is why it's quicker to come into Manchester Oxford Road station in the first place, if you can.

If your train ticket says "Manchester STNS", you can catch a train from Piccadilly Station to Oxford Road Station without paying anything. This is the quickest route from Piccadilly unless you're catching the 147. Alternatively, you could walk to Manchester University from Piccadilly Station. Allow 20-30 minutes if doing so.

If your train ticket says "Manchester CTLZ", you can catch city centre trams without paying anything. This is most useful if you come into Manchester Victoria, in which case it provides a quick route to get to Piccadilly Gardens, or to St Peter's Square. It's also useful when going back – you can come out of Kro bar around 11pm, catch a bus to Piccadilly Gardens, and then take the tram to either Victoria Station or Piccadilly Station.

Is there parking?

If coming by car, you can usually find free parking on Cecil Street or Acomb Street. Put M15 6GD into your SatNav to find these streets. If there aren't any spaces, you could try the University of Manchester car park at the end of Cecil Street, or the Contact Theatre car park nearby (both around £4). You could also look for free parking further afield, such as the Science Park or on Burlington Street.

What happens at meetings?

The group will discuss stammering, and take part in group therapy exercises. Some examples of these exercises are:

• “Table Topics”, an improvised question and answer session.
• Reading aloud from a novel or play.
• Presentations by group members.
• Practice using the telephone.
• Role playing sessions.

Every meeting is different. Join the Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/manstam/), or follow us on Twitter (@MANCstammer) to get an idea of recent meetings.

How long has the group been running?

Since 2008. We organised the 2016 British Stammering Association conference, held at Hulme Hall at the University of Manchester. The conference was attended by 150 people, and the keynote speaker was former shadow chancellor Ed Balls.