Press release - 4 August 2015 11:00

Worcester resident is embarking on a 2,600 mile motorcycle trip to raise funds for the Stroke Association

Alex Husband, 44, from Leigh, is embarking on a 2,600 mile long road motorcycle challenge around the UK mainland on Saturday 12 September. He'll be raising vital funds for the Stroke Association after his mother-in-law had a devastating stroke three years ago.

Eileen Harris was at home with her grandson when she had a major stroke which severely affected her right side. Eileen’s grandson, Daniel (17), was in the house at the time and acted fast by phoning 999.

Since Eileen’s stroke, she now has aphasia, a condition that affects the brain and leads to problems with communicating. Eileen has received support from the Stroke Association, and is working hard on her rehabilitation.

Alex said: “Eileen’s stroke was a huge shock for the whole family. I have been inspired to take on this challenge to help other people who are faced with the effects of stroke like my mother-in-law, to help conquer this condition. I’m so thankful Daniel was able to act extremely quickly in the awful situation he was in, potentially saving Eileen’s life. The Stroke Association has played a huge part in Eileen’s recovery. By taking on this challenge I want to raise more awareness of stroke, and also vital funds to help the charity continue the work they do.”

Alex continued: “I am doing the ride this way as it is a more challenging way of doing the Lands End to John O’Groats trip. I will be starting from Worcester and the whole journey will be around 2,600 miles. Hopefully I will manage this in 7-8 days.”

Sophie James, Community and Events Fundraising Manager for the Stroke Association in the West Midlands said “This is a brilliant challenge which no-one has attempted to do for the Stroke Association before. We hope Alex has a fantastic time. We would urge any fellow bikers or those inspired by his challenge to show their support through his JustGiving page. It is vital that we have people like Alex who can raise funds for people affected by stroke.”

To help conquer stroke, and show your support to Alex, please visit www.justgiving.com/Alex-thelongroad

Skellerns Motorcycles in Worcester have kindly offered Alex a free of charge service for his motorbike prior to the trip and are also collecting donations towards the challenge in their shop in Sidbury. If anyone would like to pop in to make a donation please visit them at: 52 Sidbury, Worcester WR1 2HZ

For more information about stroke, ring the Helpline on 0303 30 33 100 or visit www.stroke.org.uk.

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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