A £7,000 donation from the Foundation is helping stroke survivors regain their confidence through fitness sessions run by the volunteer-led Teesside Stroke Club.
The grant enabled the Stroke Club to replace ageing gym equipment with state-of-the-art movement therapy machinery that is already proving a major boon for the group’s 42 members, who meet at Middlesbrough Sports Village.
Sue Theobald of our generous patrons, Barclays (Middlesbrough), recently paid a visit to meet organisers and members of the club and take a look at the equipment they’ve been able to purchase with the help of our donation.
“We are all on Cloud 9,” said the group’s chairman Ted Docherty, when asked what the grant had meant to the charity. “We can’t exist without support like this. We desperately needed new equipment – and we’ve been able to buy machines that are a huge help.”
Fellow volunteer Geoff McPherson, whose wife Yvonne suffered a stroke more than seven years ago, added: “Suffering a stroke is a life-changing experience and many people who come to us are terrified, but meeting and talking to others with similar challenges and fears can be a huge help.”
With members of all ages, the Stroke Club members enjoy cookery demonstrations and plays carpet bowls, while their sports hall activities include sit to stand, assisted walking, balancing and chair-based exercises.
Although there is currently a waiting list for membership, the club aims to increase its membership in the future. Stroke sufferers who would like to be added to the waiting list should ask their GP for a referral to Teesside Stroke Club.
Stroke sufferers who would like to be added to the waiting list should ask their GP for a referral to Teesside Stroke Club.
