Stroke is the 4th single leading cause of death and is a leading cause of disability. It happens suddenly, without warning, and can turn lives upside down. Bristol After Stroke is a local independent charity whose mission is to support people to adapt to life after stroke.
You may not have heard of us but we are celebrating our 40th birthday this year and want to use this to raise awareness of stroke, our charity and hopefully inspire people to get involved with us.
Hitting any significant birthday tends to be a time of reflection, looking at what has passed and what we want for the future. For an individual, it may be a commitment to some form of self-improvement, but for a charity building a community of support for people with stroke, it is about how can we build on what we have done so far, embed our work, live to our values and make meaningful partnerships to ensure we are reaching the diversity of people that stroke affects.
Bristol After Stroke, with the support of the Diversity Trust, want to ensure we are reaching out to as diverse an audience as possible. It is important, especially now, to make sure we question what we do and reach out to others to make sure we remain relevant to all the people we are here to support.
Does it matter that we are 40? You may not think so, the work is the most important thing, and indeed it is. However, I am also aware that in building resilience, it’s really important to celebrate even small successes and this landmark seems important to celebrate as they often don’t come easily. So as well as reflecting, I think we also need to take stock and celebrate our achievements and the hard work that lies behind them.
Last year was a landmark year for Bristol After Stroke. We have been working alongside clinicians, social care, the voluntary sector and people with lived experience to reconfigure stroke care in the region. As a result, BAS will be offering six-month reviews to people in Bristol and South Glos who have a stroke, as part of a new pathway, and we’ll be working as part of an Integrated Community Stroke Service and in partnership with the Stroke Association, who will be offering this in North Somerset.
We also increased our offer to people with Aphasia of more face-to-face groups and communication workshops, an extra café in South Glos and we have started a new walking football group. We are also working with more organisations to support stroke affected people, linking with the arts to help people process stroke in many different ways. These achievements come from the hard work of an amazing staff, volunteers, trustee team, people with lived experience, our partners and funders.
However, we can’t rest on our laurels; there is still so much to do and to learn. We know the incidence and survival of stroke is going to increase, so it remains important to keep striving with our partners to improve stroke support.
Sadly, there is nothing like having a stroke to shine a light on the fact that the world we live in is not as inclusive as we imagine. One carer recently reflected that his experience of arranging care for his father was like the people there to support you were actively standing in your way, setting up obstacles.
So BAS’s mission remains the same – to be that crucial helping hand in an extraordinary time in people’s lives.
If you want to be part of our community of support, raise money, volunteer, partner with us, spread the word, find out more or get involved please get in touch: office@bristolafterstroke.org.uk www.bristolafterstroke.org.uk
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This article was written for the Diversity Trust by Rebecca Sheehy, CEO at Bristol After Stroke.