Ten years ago, in 2014, the Chandler's Ford stroke support group was formed to give hope to local people.
Local MP, Steve Brine, backed the group at its inception and today dropped into the Dovetail Centre to celebrate its tenth birthday. He was invited along by group chair, Pauline Marocco.
The group was founded by Chandlers Ford & Itchen Valley Rotary thanks to a generous donation from proceeds of the entrance fees for Longstock Park Water Garden and a matching fund from Rotary International.
The first meeting took place in early 2014, with five founding Rotary volunteers and seven local stroke survivors identified by the Stroke Association. Thanks to that initial initiative, Rotary GB & Ireland and the Stroke Association started collaborating in 2016 and launched the nation-wide ‘Know Your Blood Pressure’ campaign to help people understand the link between high blood pressure and stroke.
Ten years later, the Group has 16 fully trained volunteers, 16 carers who regularly attend meetings and almost 40 stroke survivors currently registered as members. It is among the largest and most established support groups in the country with a high-focused speech & language therapy assistance programme.
Steve, who meets up with the group at local events including Fryern Funtasia each year, said; "Pauline and the team of volunteers who run this group are doing God's work and you couldn't meet a nicer group of people.
"I knew when we were first in contact how important this group could be for local people who suffered a stroke and so it has proved. They've helped so many people in so many ways; I am blown away by what they've acheived.
"Stroke support is about care giving and speech & language services - and they do all of that - but it's also about simply being there and help re-build peoples' confidence after an event."
The group meets fortnightly on a Thursday from 2-4pm at the Dovetail Centre in Chandler's Ford.
Pictured; Steve Brine and the volunteers at the event along with a representative from Eastleigh Rotary and Cllr Alan Broadhurst from Eastleigh Borough Council.
More information ...
