I think we all have a duty to help each other and would encourage people to take their first step into volunteering.

I started volunteering for the Stroke Association about eight years ago.
The Stroke Association approached Red Cross looking for a trainer to deliver stroke awareness to the local community.

I lost count of the number of awareness courses I delivered and it was on one of these courses that I met a chap who had had a stroke and he struggled to get any support. We started to discuss on how we could start up a local support group.

With the help of the Council, we formed a Committee and a Constitution.

We advertised the group by word of mouth within the community and got a good response. A few stroke survivors turned up, some of them are still with us after five years. We got more recruits, then Covid hit us. We had our meetings over Zoom, but as soon as it was possible, people wanted face to face meetings.

I have always been a volunteer as long as I can remember, helping out as a child in my local temple in India.

Clackmannanshire Stroke Support is running well. It’s a small group now, but I have seen improvements in all our stroke survivors, and they continue to engage with each other and also lookout for each other. Some have become local community connectors to raise the profile of the Stroke Association.

I enjoy volunteering with the Stroke Association and hope the work we do with stroke survivors is helping them get the best out of their lives despite the many challenges they face. Our members at the Clackmannanshire Stroke Support Group have improved over the years by supporting each other.

Just, last week at the FAST awareness stand, where I was helping, a guy came along who couldn’t speak any English. I asked him where he came from. He said he was from Gujrat in India but could speak Hindi. I was able to help him with some information with a mixture, Hindi, Punjabi and English.

I am aware that people from ethnic minorities are adversely affected by stroke and don’t know where to go for help.

I believe we need to target volunteers from ethnic minorities to help to spread the word.

I enjoy meeting new people and listening to their stories and can relate to many with my own story.

I think we all have a duty to help each other and would encourage people to take their first step into volunteering. You will not regret it; in fact, you may even enjoy it.

So what are you waiting for? Come and join us!