A TEACHER who was once held back by a stammer is looking forward to a right royal day out after being awarded a British Empire Medal for helping others battling the condition.

East Renfrewshire man Adam Black teaches at Eastmuir Primary School, in the Balornock area of Glasgow, fulfilling a dream which once seemed completely out of his grasp.

The dad-of-two, from Eaglesham, suffered with a stammer when he was young and went through years of unsuccessful speech therapy and elocution lessons in a bid to move past it.

After struggling to overcome the problem, Mr Black was eventually helped through the McGuire Programme – an emotionally-charged residential course run by former stammerers which encourages people to take ownership of the issue and not hide from it.

Now the 29-year-old spends much of his time raising awareness of stammering and helping others to overcome its challenges.

Mr Black, who will collect his award later this year, said: “I meet as many children as I can and get them to embrace their quirks.

“I’ve found that, by embracing my stutter, it made me who I am and helped me be the person I want to be.”

Mr Black also hopes his award will help him keep raising awareness of people who stammer.
He said. “I do think things like this can encourage people to put their best foot forward and make others stand up and take notice of the work they do.”

Last year, Mr Black teamed up with BBC The Social to produce a short film entitled ‘Embracing My Stutter: Adam’s Story.’

The three-minute video saw him discuss how he used to change his name to John as it was easier to say but has now grown the confidence to give speeches at his own wedding and as a best man. It can be viewed online at www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06d9d3z.