Life After Stroke grows in Preston with new charity allotment

Green-fingered stroke survivors and carers in Preston are creating an accessible allotment, to enable the local community to enjoy gardening and grow their own fruit and vegetables.

The Stroke Association has organised the project, based on Blackpool Road, which began around five months ago. The group has come together every Wednesday afternoon to tackle the large, previously overgrown patch.

After months of hard work and careful preparation, the allotment is steadily being cleared and will eventually feature a sensory area, a paved area with seating and raised beds to make the plots accessible for those in wheelchairs. The allotment will be attended by service users and carers from the Stroke Association’s Life after Stroke Service, as well as the wider community.

The team of keen gardeners is now calling out for support from the local area, looking for more volunteers to help clear the remaining areas, lay paving and plant shrubs. They are also appealing to local businesses to donate materials for the allotment, including paving, shrubs and scaffolding planks.

Julie Glaister, Life After Stroke Coordinator at the Stroke Association, said: “The allotment will help stroke survivors gain satisfaction by growing fruit and vegetables. Meeting regularly also helps them to interact with others to improve confidence and reduce social isolation.

“An everyday activity such as gardening can help with motivation and reduce anxiety, as well as providing exercise, so it’s great to see so many of our service users already getting involved with the allotment and working hard to enable more people to enjoy its benefits. We’d love for more volunteers and local businesses to get behind the project and help us to make it a real success for the local community to enjoy.”

Eileen McGovern, 59 from Ribchester, had a stroke in March 2013. The stroke affected the movement in her left side, but as her husband recognised the symptoms of stroke and acted immediately, her movement returned relatively quickly. Eileen has been visiting the allotment since September.

She said: “When I first received the call from Julie to join in I was little apprehensive, but it’s been absolutely fantastic. I’ve seen the allotment completely change; we’ve been aiming to clear one bed a week which we’ve been managing so far. It gives you a real boost when you’ve been to the allotment, not only to see the progress being made, but also to have a chat, a laugh and a cup of tea with everyone involved.”

Stroke survivor Margaret Potts, 86 from Preston, added: “People who attend the allotment can do as much or as little as they like. It’s a great way to meet different people and make new friends. You can really see the effects of us all working together.”

The Stroke Association provides a Life After Stroke Service in Central Lancashire, in partnership with by Chorley and South Ribble and Greater Preston Clinical Commissioning groups. For more information about stroke, ring the Helpline on 0303 30 33 100 or visit www.stroke.org.uk.