Press release -
This Volunteers Week, the Stroke Association highlights the importance of its volunteers
This Volunteers Week (1-7 June), the Stroke Association has been highlighting the importance of the volunteers who provide vital support to the charity.
The Stroke Association provides support for stroke survivors in Tameside and Glossop, as they come to terms with a life after stroke. The team currently has 38 active volunteers who work in groups both in the hospital and the community.
The volunteers’ roles include driving stroke survivors and carers to groups and activities, providing admin support in the office or visiting patients at the hospital. The charity also has volunteers who act as fishing buddies and run a weekly fishing group in Denton for stroke survivors, as well people volunteering as gardening buddies and ambassadors for the Stroke Association.
Some volunteers take on more than one role and last year supported the charity with a total of 1,850 hours to the Stroke Association’s local service.
Kerry Burke from Denton is a fishing buddy volunteer. He says: "I love volunteering for the Stroke Association; it’s so satisfying and rewarding to turn a hobby into something worthwhile. It’s nice to give something back to the community now I have retired."
Joyce Booth, Family and Carer Support Coordinator at the Stroke Association in Tameside and Glossop, said: “Without the support of our volunteers we simply couldn’t offer the range of support we do for stroke survivors in Tameside and Glossop. Our oldest volunteer is 84, while the youngest is 19 - we actually have nine stroke survivors and four carers in our team.
“Volunteers are at the heart of everything we do. Their knowledge, experience and support help stroke survivors make the best possible recovery. They enable us to raise more money to continue the work of the charity and also help us to raise awareness of stroke in our local communities. Our volunteers are invaluable to us and make a huge difference to the lives of local stroke survivors.”
The Stroke Association provides an Information, Advice and Support Service and Communication Support in Tameside, in partnership with Tameside Council and Tameside and Glossop Clinical Commissioning Group.
For more information about stroke visit www.stroke.org.uk or call the Helpline on 0303 303 3100.
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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
