Peter’s Story

Peter was born in 1978 at Bolton Royal Hospital. When Peter was a child it became clear that he had a speech impediment, a learning disability which means that although his brain processed information quite quickly he couldn’t always communicate what he was thinking and people found it very hard to understand him.

This was frustrating for Peter but his dad really helped to coach him into communicating clearly, focusing on thinking about what he wanted to say, breathing and filling his lungs and then speaking. This really helped Peter and is a technique he now uses to coach others in a similar position.

Peter found school challenging until he was moved to Claremont Primary in Salford, a special school where they nurtured and supported him and found out about his interests in drama, music and drawing. This continued through secondary school and his confidence grew after securing a place on the school council and helping to set up a drama group – So Many Words Theatre Company – which he has been a part of ever since, later becoming their chairperson.

Peter now leads a busy, independent life. On a weekly basis he volunteers at YouCan Community Club – where he is the DJ for Discos, helps run activities, supports trips out and helps with holiday activities; is the volunteer escort for the Ring And Ride Service in Salford, where he supports individuals on transport to Youth Club providing respite for families; is a dance leader with DanceSyndrome where he leads workshops, attends core company rehearsals, co-delivers training and delivers presentations at conferences. Peter has also worked in the DanceSyndrome office, helping with a variety of administrative tasks, including data processing, organising events and video editing.

Here is a video of Peter talking about his skills:

Peter has been a vital member of DanceSyndrome since its inception, playing an active role in scoping out what the group wanted DanceSyndrome to look like and the activities they wanted to deliver. Peter has blossomed as an individual and his confidence exudes, especially as he delivers the training course to potential Dance Leaders, using his previous experiences to help others with their communication and develop their skills in both dance and leadership.

If you would like to support us to empower more people like Peter, you can donate directly using the form below: