This June, Speech and Language UK is calling on individuals, schools, workplaces and communities across the country to take part in The Big Silence — a powerful 24-hour sponsored silence in solidarity with the two million children in the UK who struggle with talking and understanding words.
Why go silent? Because for these children, silence isn’t a choice. It’s a daily reality.
By choosing to stay silent for a day, participants will experience just a glimpse of what it feels like to try to communicate thoughts, needs or emotions without talking. Funds raised will help Speech and Language UK provide expert support, resources, and advocacy for children who struggle with talking and understanding words.
The need for public support has never been greater. Children with speech and language challenges are six times more likely to fall behind in English and eleven times more likely to struggle with Maths by age 11. As they grow older, they face twice the risk of unemployment and make up nearly half of mental health service referrals.
The Big Silence runs throughout June, with participants choosing any 24-hour period within the month. During the silence, participants can rely on alternative forms of communication such as visual cue cards and communication aids – embracing the many varied forms communication can take.
Just £25 could allow Speech and Language UK to train a teacher to deliver one of their life-changing Talk Boost programmes, so that no child is left behind. What’s more, £48 could fund one advice line call, where a worried family member can speak to an advisor and receive the guidance and support they so desperately need when waitlists for speech and language therapy are far too long.
Jane Harris, Chief Executive of Speech and Language UK, is among those taking part. She said: “At Speech and Language UK, we see these children every day – and too often, even those of us working closely with them don’t truly understand what it feels like to live in a world where you struggle to understand or be understood.
“That’s why I’m taking part in The Big Silence – to experience just a fraction of what that’s like, and to stand in solidarity with the children we support. Every pound raised will bring us closer to a society in which every child knows they are heard, valued and can communicate in whatever form it takes.”
To learn more about The Big Silence campaign or to sign up yourself, visit: https://speechandlanguage.org.uk/get-involved/the-big-silence/
