James Davies - New Patron at STAMMA

The A-listers’ osteopath, James Davies joined STAMMA's illustrious list of Patrons today. James is the founder and CEO of Rising Health, having started the company by himself over a decade ago. James works with some of the world’s most renowned athletes, actors and musicians, including David Beckham, Kylie Minogue, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Philip Schofield, and Marvin and Rochelle Humes.

James said “I am honoured that STAMMA has asked me to be a patron. This means so much to me as I want to build awareness of stammering so it is accepted as just a difference, and also enable access to therapies for those who want them.

People initially think that if you can’t get your words out, if you’re pausing a lot, it’s that you’re not a confident person or that you’re not intelligent. People finished off my sentences thinking I didn’t know the answer.

I’m not ashamed, I’m not embarrassed about stammering. I was in the past. This message needs to be heard. “

James joins STAMMA’s patrons who include podcaster and actor Scroobius Pip, former Scotland rugby captain Kelly Brown, the poet Owen Sheers, authors David Mitchell and Margaret Drabble, former politician, cook and dancer Ed Balls, Baroness Janet Whitaker, producer, writer and consultant Jonty Claypole and Arwel Richards - a salesman who recently sold Princess Diana's Ford Escort for an astonishing 650,000.

Jane Powell, CEO, said, "We are delighted to welcome James as a Patron of STAMMA. In the interview on our site James talks about spending 25 years feeling that he was in the wilderness, that no-one would understand what he was going through. And that still is the reality for millions of people across the globe. They face a world where there is no space, no adjustment, no acceptance of their stammer.”