As the funding partnership for our Life after Stroke Grants has now come to an end, unfortunately we are no longer able to offer these means-tested grants.

If you, or someone you know, is experiencing financial difficulty and would like more information about what support may be available, please refer to our benefits and financial help after stroke information or contact our Stroke Helpline on 0303 3033 100.

Our previous Life After Stroke Grant partnership

In 2014, we were delighted to be chosen by Royal Mail to be their Charity of the Year. They incredibly raised over £2 million for our charity. Every penny has been awarded to stroke survivors in financial hardship through our grant programme, to help them rebuild their lives after stroke. 

Over five years, we provided almost 8,000 grants, which were a lifeline for many stroke survivors, helping them to rebuild their lives after stroke. We’d like to say a huge thank you to Royal Mail for their support, and also to all those who help to raise awareness of the grants and helped stroke survivors to access them. With your support we were able to help people with their recovery. Read on to find out how a Life After Stroke Grant supported Chris.

While the funding has come to an end, our charity’s services will continue to connect stroke survivors, families and carers who need financial support with external grant providers to help them rebuild their lives after stroke.

Chris was working as a multi-media designer. As a very creative and artistic person, she enjoyed lots of hobbies, from crafting miniatures to working with wood and textiles. But in June 2018, she was struck by stroke. This resulted in significant cognitive challenges, including difficulty with concentration and memory, mobility issues, and visual impairment. And in 2019, Chris had to retire from her career on the grounds of medical ill-health.

"My days were filled with just watching grass sway," she remembers. "I could not read or watch TV or follow conversation. Slowly this has been coming back to me, with the urge to be creative once again."

Chris' home, which she shares with her husband and dog, does not have sufficient room to allow her to set up her crafting materials: "I lamented to Laura, my local Stroke Association Support Coordinator, about our lack of space, and that I could no longer be creative. But Laura suggested completing an application for a Life After Stroke Grant."

The Grant had provided a shed for Chris' garden, which offered her the opportunity to be creative, as well as a place where she can seek solace and quiet; thus impacting positively on her physical and emotional well-being. "I was elated that it had been accepted. My shed has now arrived and my whole family have come together to help erect, insulate, line and paint. I already have so many ideas that I have to write them down."

Chris is grateful that she can enjoy many hours getting creative, particularly throughout the Covid-19 pandemic: "I have lots of people to thank for helping this to be reality. It makes me quite emotional to think about it. I can't possibly thank everyone enough who has made my dream of having a little more space come true."