Our history
A brief history of The Stroke Association.
1890s
On Tuesday 20 December 1898, the charity's first president, the Prince of Wales, invited a handful of forward thinking physicians, eminent statesmen, churchmen and academics to the first meeting of The Stroke Association.
The Stroke Association was originally called The National Association for the Prevention of Consumption and other forms of Tuberculosis, and later shortened its name to The National Association for the Prevention of Tuberculosis (NAPT). The charity began its work the following year.
1900s - 1960s
During the following 60 years the NAPT provided health education, set up TB clinics, dispensaries and open-air sanatoriums, and campaigned for better public health.
The change in health administration, together with improvements in the detection and treatment of TB, altered the work of NAPT. The charity turned its attention to other chest diseases, such as chronic bronchitis, asthma and lung cancer, as well as heart disease. In 1959 it became The Chest and Heart Association to reflect these changes.
Throughout the 1960s the charity’s work continued with its programme of research, health education and the publication of its newsletter, which provided information and support to patients. This newsletter later became today’s quarterly magazine Stroke News
1970s
During the 1970s the Association began to focus more attention on stroke, which was a neglected area. In 1973, Valerie Eaton Griffith pioneered a scheme using volunteers to help people regain their speech and language skills after stroke. The two pilot schemes - in Oxford and the Chilterns - were expanded in 1975 as the Volunteer Stroke Service. This became Dysphasia Support, and is now Communication Support which runs in partnership with local speech and language therapists.
The Association realised that there was a need for more research and became increasingly involved with stroke. In 1976 this lead to another change of name, to The Chest, Heart and Stroke Association (CHSA).
1980s
On 3 June 1986, Sir Eric Cheadle launched the National Stroke Campaign. Its objectives included providing information about the prevention and treatment of stroke, raising funds for research, the development of the Volunteer Stroke Service and expansion of the stroke club network.
With a target of raising £2 million, a series of events took place around the country including fundraising projects, clinical meetings for professionals and an extensive advertising campaign.
Funding medical research has always been a high priority for the charity. In 1988 four junior doctors were awarded grants to work as CHSA Research Fellows on stroke patients in their hospitals. The Association still funds clinical fellowships along with bursaries for nurses and therapists, to help them train in stroke research techniques and encourage them to choose careers in stroke services.
In July 1988 the first Regional Advice Centre was opened in Southampton - the forerunner of today’s network of centres across the UK, which together with the central Stroke Information Service offer a range of support and information services.
1990s
In the early 1990s the charity realised the need to provide emotional support and advice to the families of people who have had strokes, as well as those affected by stroke who are living alone. Building on the success of Dysphasia Support, Family Support began as a pilot in January 1991 and continues today as the Family and Carer Support Service delivered under contract to statutory purchasers.
Chest disease, heart disease and stroke account for almost six out of 10 deaths in the UK. Of the three, stroke is the most neglected and, until recently, no other charity has been working solely in this field. To concentrate its efforts and resources the charity decided to focus on stroke, and in January 1992 it became The Stroke Association.
Because of the constant need to understand more about stroke illness, in 1992 Professor Peter Fentem was appointed to the first Chair in Stroke Medicine in the UK. The post was established at the University of Nottingham’s Stroke Research Unit, which has flourished as a centre of excellence for stroke research, teaching and development of care.
The first Life After Stroke Awards ceremony was held in 1992. Since then the awards have grown in scope, and today they recognise the outstanding courage and achievement of people who have rebuilt their lives following stroke, as well as those who have cared for them with love and devotion.
The Stroke Association began developing its services for working age people who have had strokes in 1995. Today the Association is committed to developing services tailored to the diversity of all people affected by stroke.
Today
The Stroke Association is pursuing its mission of trying to eradicate the causes of stroke, as far as possible, and assisting stroke survivors and their family and friends in achieving quality of life.
One of the major challenges faced by The Stroke Association is the lack of resources to take on the enormity of the need. Stroke is a leading cause of severe adult disability in the UK and so additional resources are always needed to offer more support and assistance to people affected by stroke. The Stroke Association is therefore planning to develop its relationships with its supporters through improvements to its website and other communication channels, such as Stroke News. There will also be further support for volunteers and donors who are essential to the ongoing work of the charity.
To raise the profile of stroke to the level required to make stroke related activity a priority The Stroke Association decided to work more explicitly on a UK wide basis in 2006. The Association has a long history of funding research into stroke in Scotland, and many thousands of stroke survivors and their families in Scotland and Northern Ireland have benefited from our literature and helpline over the years. In 2006 Speechmatters, a Northern Ireland charity working with people with aphasia, merged with The Stroke Association. In 2007 an office was also opened in Edinburgh, completing The Stroke Association's formal presence in all four countries in the UK.
The broadening of the Association's horizons was also furthered by involvement as a key member of the Stroke Alliance for Europe (SAFE), where we provide the secretariat for this 21 organisation strong body operating in 17 countries in Europe.
The overriding aim for The Stroke Association over the next few years is the implementation of national stroke strategies in each of the four countries that improve activity along the whole stroke patient pathway, from prevention and awareness through to long term care. This should occur alongside the development of additional community support services. At the moment The Stroke Association runs 220 community projects and works with around 600 stroke clubs, but it is planned to increase this further. Continued funding of research in the areas of stroke prevention, treatment and rehabilitation is also crucial.
The Stroke Association
A Company Limited by Guarantee, registered in England and Wales with registered number 61274
Registered Charity no 211015 and in Scotland no SC037789
Registered office: Stroke House, 240 City Road, London EC1V 2PR
