Peter, 60 from Risca, had a stroke in 2017.
He received six weeks of mental health therapy following his stroke, but says he was 'dropped' by the system and has been in a deep depression ever since. Like many others, Peter has particularly struggled with his mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
'The pandemic has affected me massively. I lost staff at my business which has meant I've had to work more hours myself leading to extreme fatigue. This makes everything worse.
'Even though I have been busy with work I feel very isolated. My mental health has suffered immensely and the stress related to COVID-19 has made it worse. Any progression I had made has been halted. I think another lockdown is inevitable and regardless of whether there is, I think it will be a long time until things are normal. The thought of that makes me even more depressed as I miss the contact with other stroke survivors.'