Stroke Club Award
Stroke clubs play a vital role in improving the lives of many people affected by stroke in their local community. This award is given in recognition and celebration of the vital support network they provide.
Winner - Stroke Support West Midlands
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Picture: Winners Martin & Jean Bird from Stroke Support West Midlands with award presenter Karren Brady
Stroke Support West Midlands celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2009.
The club started with four members and has grown to over 70 members from which over 40 attend each week. The club is a place to be with friends, who understand and support each other.
For most people, the most significant activity of the club is the regular Saturday meetings.
Members consistently express their appreciation of structured exercise sessions at the beginning of the two hour weekly meeting, as well as the time they have to share information and experiences, and enjoy talks from invited speakers.
The club often arranges activities such as visits to Twycross Zoo and a sports day that caters for all capabilities. The balance of exercise, events, information sharing and mutual support is exactly what members say they want.
To help ensure the group continues to offer what stroke survivors and carers want and need, there is a bi-monthly elected board meeting, augmented by volunteer committee members, and the club makes sure that activities are free for survivors and subsidised for carers by fundraising £8,000 a year.
Club members say they feel, safe, supported and involved. Survivors help and encourage other survivors; carers reach out to carers. The club pursues its mission of taking the ‘dis’ out of disability.
