Press release -
Southend dad goes the extra mile for the Stroke Association
A Southend-on-Sea dad will take on the Morrisons Great North Run on Sunday 13 September 2015, to raise vital funds for the Stroke Association.
Robert West, 35 from Shoeburyness, was inspired to take part in the half marathon after his father-in-law, Frank Jones, had a stroke in 2006 which badly affected the right side of his body and his speech.
Robert, a fraud investigator, said: “Frank was a very active man who loved his gardening. Stroke had such a big impact on his life, and it was something that affected our whole family. Since his stroke, he’s slowly been getting back into gardening, but he realises it’s something that may take some time. I now want to raise as much as possible for the Stroke Association, so they can continue help stroke survivors like Frank.”
He added: “I enjoy running and I’m hoping to get to the finish line in a good time. My training is going really well and I’m aiming to finish the run in 1 hour and 45 minutes, this would be 20 minutes quicker from when I ran the Great North Run in 2011. When it comes to the big day, I know I will have Frank in my mind, spurring me on.”
Liz Williams, Events Manager at Stroke Association, said: “With around 152,000 strokes a year in the UK – that’s around one every three and a half minutes – it’s vital that we have people like Robert who can raise funds for people affected by stroke. Robert is truly going the extra mile for the Stroke Association and we look forward to cheering him on as he speeds from Newcastle to South Shields.”
To sponsor Robert, please visit www.justgiving.com/RobertWest666.
For more information about the Morrisons Great North Run, please visit www.greatrun.org/great-north-run
For more information about stroke, visit stroke.org.uk or call the helpline on 0303 3033 100.
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A stroke is a brain attack which happens when the blood supply to the brain is cut off, caused by a clot or bleeding in the brain. There are around 152,000 strokes in the UK every year and it is the leading cause of severe adult disability. There are over 1.2 million people in the UK living with the effects of stroke.
Stroke Association is a charity. We believe in life after stroke and together we can conquer stroke. We work directly with stroke survivors and their families and carers, with health and social care professionals and with scientists and researchers. We campaign to improve stroke care and support people to make the best recovery they can. We fund research to develop new treatments and ways of preventing stroke. The Stroke Helpline (0303 303 3100) provides information and support on stroke. More information can be found at www.stroke.org.uk
