Surrey fundraiser wins national award

Guilford resident Lucy Trafford has been awarded a Life After Stroke Award for fundraising over £130 000 for the Stroke Association. She was presented with her award by actor Rupert Graves and Baroness Brady at a glittering ceremony at the Dorchester Hotel in London on 1 November 2017.

Lucy, 23, was inspired to support the charity after her mother Tina died from a stroke in 2016, aged only 53.

Lucy said: “It is tough not having her here. I think of my mother all the time and it breaks my heart that I cannot pick up the phone and hear her voice. I get sad thinking about the milestones that I wish I could have shared with her. It is a loss that has left a huge void in our lives, but it has also spurred me to do the best I can to raise funds for the Stroke Association. I hope she would be proud of what we’ve achieved.”

Lucy decided that she wanted to do something positive in honour of her mother, and came up with an idea called ‘Saddle for Stroke’. A group of family and friends cycled from London to Paris over three days in May 2017 in aid of the Stroke Association. She initially set a fundraising of £53,000 to commemorate her mother’s age when she died. As well as the cycle ride, the ‘Saddle for Stroke’ supporters organised a variety of fundraising events including car washes, pub quizzes, cocktail parties, walks, cake sales and dress purple days.

The group met their target within weeks and so the Lucy decided to set an even higher target. To date they have raised over £130 000 and now Lucy is aiming for £150 000.

Lucy said: “We’re so grateful to all the generous people who donated to such an important cause, and especially to our family and friends who joined us on our bike ride. Our mother loved to cycle, and that’s why we took on this challenge. We covered over 200 miles over three days, and it was gruelling at times but it was worth it!”

Juliet Bouverie, Chief Executive of the Stroke Association, said:“Lucy has worked so hard to raise funds to help conquer stroke. The scale of her ambition and what she has achieved is truly remarkable. Thanks to her passion for raising money, much needed funds will make a real difference to helping people affected by stroke and supporting vital stroke research.”