we offer support for stroke survivors and their family carers by holding fortnightly meetings with entertainment or speakers/activity sessions and monthly outings to local venues to promote a good general health an mental health well-being.
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We have started seeing the face of stroke changing rapidly in the last 20 to 30 yrs, at one time stroke was something that happened in old age and was widely accepted as such. However over the last few decades we have seen younger & younger people suffer a stroke, either through a clot or bleed. Even children are having strokes, sometimes unborn babies.
Until recently most stroke groups were composed mostly of older survivors and provided a social environment with mainly traditional entertainments, with sing a longs etc. with the occasional speaker. Our group was typical of this and until recent years the average age was in the high 70's. I joined just over 7 years ago aged 53, we have since had other members who have joined with an age range of 50 to mid 60's , and very recently we have a young girl of 21 attend a few times. Since lock-down ended we have almost doubled in size.
To meet this changing face of Stroke we introducing a varied program of things to do at our fortnightly meetings. Several years ago we purchased an indoor curling set, which helps to promote improved balance & co-ordination and is proving more popular each time it is used. Since then we have had the COVID pandemic, where everything shut down for nearly two years. We were one of the fortunate groups to survive, lots of groups sadly folded as a result of the long closures.
Since coming out of lock-down in 2021 with just 19 members, we have managed to double in size with over 40 members to date (Aug-24). The Lottery funding is helping us achieve our main objective as a small local charity, which is helping to improve the lives of not just stroke survivors but their carers too. We do this through our wide and varied program of things we do at our fortnightly meetings. There is either a speaker or entertainer one meeting, two weeks later will be an activity session ranging from seated exercises or maypole dancing to craft sessions designing our club T-Shirt & indoor floor games designed to help promote improved balance and coordination.
Then in between meetings from April until the following January, we arrange outings to things like a safari park, canal trip, sailing at the local Ivoire with afternoon tea, a trip to the seaside etc. all designed to help promote improved health and well-being along with improved mental health for everyone.