Postman raises over £10,000 for charity after grandmother’s stroke

A Brecon postman has taken on a whole host of challenges in aid of the Stroke Association after his grandmother had a stroke in 2011.

Dale Evans, 25, was in university when his grandmother’s stroke struck. He recalled, “I remember getting the call from my mum. My grandfather, who passed away four years ago, had just got home and he realised straight away what was happening to my Nan, and didn’t hesitate to call 999.

“Sadly the effects of the stroke were extensive and it transformed my Nan’s life and my mother’s, when she became her carer. My Nan’s right-hand side was badly affected which has resulted in limited mobility, loss of memory and some communication issues. Luckily, she is still with us.”

Dale has only been with the Royal Mail for six months but in that time he has taken the lead on fundraising for the Stroke Association, who have been the organisation’s Charity of the Year for the last two years.

A competitive person, Dale has taken his fundraising responsibilities very seriously and organised several big events as part of the Royal Mail Ops challenge. These events included a dodgeball tournament, a golf tournament, a shooting competition and a face-to-face shark dive.

Dale explained, “What really inspired me to get everyone involved with these challenges was reading in a Royal Mail staff magazine about the different services and support the Stroke Association offers.

“My family and I had no idea these things existed before the charity partnership. I wanted to raise funds and awareness of the charity and the condition to make sure that other survivors, like my grandmother, and carers, like my mum, have the best opportunity at a recovery and support after a stroke.”

Currently, Dale and his coworkers have raised over £5,000 and that’s before Royal Mail’s match-funding promise. The events have seen him taking on tasks he never expected to be faced with.

He explained, “I’d been telling my Nan all about the different tournaments and then I tried to tell her about the shark dive but she refused to listen until I came home safe.

“I initially thought we’d be in a cage so it was a bit of a shock to learn we’d be sharing the tank. I thought I was fine in the week leading up to it and then we arrived at the aquarium and the sharks started looking bigger and bigger.

“We were in there for 45 minutes and it was tense when they were slowly swimming above us. It was incredible seeing the actual size of them up close.”

Dale is one of 20 Royal Mail employees who have been nominated for the Royal Mail Chairman’s Awards in London, something he is very proud of achieving in his first year of employment.

Dale concluded, “I’m so pleased to have been nominated as I’ve really enjoyed organising the events, bringing the community together, and knowing my efforts are going towards improving the lives of others.”

To find out about the Stroke Association’s work in Wales visit stroke.org.uk/Wales and follow them on Twitter @StrokeWales.