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The Stroke Association
FoundedJanuary 1, 1992 (1992-01-01)
Typecharity
Registration no.England and Wales: 211015 Scotland: SC037789
FocusStroke Research, Disability Rights
Location
  • Stroke Association House, 240 City Road, London, EC1V 2PR
Area served
United Kingdom, Isle of Man and Guernsey
Revenue
£32.125 million (2011) [1]
Employees
622 [2]
Volunteers
5,225 [2]
Websitewww.stroke.org.uk www.facebook.com/TheStrokeAssociation www.twitter.com/thestrokeassoc

The Stroke Association is a charity in the United Kingdom. It works to prevent stroke, and to support everyone touched by stroke, fund research, and campaign for the rights of stroke survivors of all ages.

History

The Stroke Association was formed in 1992 out of the Chest, Heart and Stroke Association (CHASA), to focus exclusively on stroke. The preceding decades had seen the development of community based rehabilitation programs based on the work of Valerie Eaton Griffiths with actress Patricia Neal – wife of author Roald Dahl - following her series of severe strokes in the 1960s.[3] Supported by the CHASA, these services became an increasingly significant part of their work until the charity decided to focus all of its attention and resources on stroke to become The Stroke Association.[4]

Life After Stroke

A range of Life After Stroke services, including Communication Support, Information, Advice and Support, and Stroke Prevention services,[5] helped 56,000 stroke survivors across the UK in 2010-2011.[6] These services operate in England (including the Isle of Man and Jersey), Wales and Northern Ireland.

Stroke Information Services (SIS) provides UK-wide support, information and guidance for those affected by stroke online and through the a helpline.

Life After Stroke grants are a financial contribution made towards stroke survivors’ living costs.[7]

Training: The charity offers courses for professionals working in health and social care on all aspects of stroke, as well as training to external organizations.

Prevention

The charity campaigns to support primary and secondary stroke prevention.

Stroke Association launched the Life After Stroke campaign [8] in May 2012, which aims to support people in their stroke recovery. The campaign is outlined in the Struggling to recover report and features key data from the Daily Life survey, the UK's largest ever survey from stroke survivors.[9] This campaign is supported by the Stroke Survivors’ Declaration, a document informing survivors on what they should expect from health and social care.[10]

In 2011, the charity was involved in the "Hardest Hit" campaign against cuts to benefits for people with disabilities.[11]

Other campaigning activities

FAST

The charity is working in partnership with the Department of Health (United Kingdom) on its Act FAST campaign, which was launched in 2009 and supported by national TV advertisements. The FAST (stroke) campaign informs the public on how to use a test to recognise stroke symptoms quickly. FAST is an acronym for Facial weakness, Arm weakness, Speech problems and Time to call 999.[12]

Know Your Blood Pressure

The Stroke Association runs the "Know Your Blood Pressure" (KYBP) campaign[13] with its partners Rotary International, the Emergency Medical Services, and St. Andrew's First Aid to offer free blood-pressure testing to members of the public. KYBP also encourages the public to organise independent blood-pressure testing events.[14]

Action on Stroke Month

The charity launched its first stroke awareness raising month in May 2012.[15] The focus of this year’s Action on Stroke Month was Life After Stroke, highlighting the everyday difficulties that stroke survivors and their families face and what needs to change to ensure stroke survivors are supported to make the best possible recovery.

My Stroke Victory

This campaign encourages stroke survivors to share their victories in their recovery.[16]

Ask First

The Ask First campaign[17] aims to raise awareness of the link between atrial fibrillation and stroke, encouraging people not leave atrial fibrillation undiagnosed.

Research

Stroke Association is the biggest funder of research into stroke prevention, treatment and after-care in the UK. Between 1991 and 2001, it has invested over £40 million on vital stroke research.[18] Research funded by Stroke Association has the ultimate aim of making stroke a preventable and treatable disease, and improving the quality of life for people affected by stroke.

The findings from research are crucial in the search for new ways to prevent a stroke happening, find new or improve existing treatments for those people who have a stroke, and understand how the brain works and changes after a stroke.

The evidence about treatments and therapies that comes from research also helps doctors, nurses and other health and social care professionals to convince commissioners to provide appropriate and effective services to help the 150,000 people in the UK who have a stroke each year.

Current research by Professor Keith Muir at the University of Glasgow is working to improve thrombolytic research with funding from the charity.[19] In 2011, they funded research into boosting the natural brain repair process to limit post-stroke disability. This was led by Professor Lalit Kalra of King's College London.[19]

Stroke Association has a research strategy for 2010-2015[20]

Other activities

Life After Stroke Awards

The Life After Stroke Awards is an annual award ceremony that celebrates the achievements of stroke survivors, their families, carers, healthcare professionals and supporters. The event has received support from celebrities including Sir Bruce Forsyth, Gail Porter, Neil Fox and Lynda Bellingham.

Publications

Stroke News is the quarterly magazine from the charity aimed at stroke patients and health professionals who work with them. The Stroke Association also produce a range of patient-centred and awareness raising leaflets and factsheets.

UK Stroke Forum

The Stroke Association hosts the UK Stroke Forum – a coalition of 32 organisations committed to improving stroke care. The forum is the largest multidisciplinary stroke conference in the UK where stroke clinicians and researchers share ideas, promote research and provide a unified voice for more statutory sector funding for research.[21]

The charity host the UK Stroke Assembly, an event attended by stroke survivors, carers, stroke charities and researchers.[22]

SAFE

The Stroke Association has held the Secretariat of the pan-European patient representative organisation Stroke Action For Europe since its inception in 2004.[23] SAFE consists of 22 patient groups across Europe. SAFE exists to promote awareness and prevention of stroke, increase the priority given to stroke by policy and decision-makers in the EU, and “co-ordinate the efforts of national stroke patient groups in Europe”.[24]

Awards

The charity has won and been shortlisted for a number of notable awards, including:

  • Finalist, Third Sector Awards (2009), ‘Big Impact’ and ‘Social Enterprise’
  • Finalist, Britain's Best Chairty (2008)
  • Finalist, Britain's Best Charity (2007)
  • Winner, UK Charity Awards (2006), ‘Healthcare and Medical Research’[25]

References

  1. ^ [1] Taking Action On Stroke: The Stroke Association 2010/11 Annual Review
  2. ^ a b [2] Charity Overview, 2011
  3. ^ [3][dead link]
  4. ^ [4][dead link]
  5. ^ "Our Life After Stroke Services | The Stroke Association". Stroke.org.uk. 1980-01-01. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
  6. ^ "Our impact | The Stroke Association". Stroke.org.uk. 1980-01-01. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
  7. ^ "Financial support | The Stroke Association". Stroke.org.uk. 1980-01-01. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
  8. ^ "Struggling to recover - The Life After Stroke Campaign | The Stroke Association". Stroke.org.uk. 1980-01-01. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
  9. ^ "Struggling to Recover" (PDF). 2012-05-20. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
  10. ^ "The Stroke Survivors' Declaration | The Stroke Association". Stroke.org.uk. 1980-01-01. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
  11. ^ "The Hardest Hit | Fighting cuts to support for disabled people". Thehardesthit.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
  12. ^ Time to call 999 if you see any single one of these signs. "Stroke - Act F.A.S.T". Nhs.uk. Retrieved 2012-09-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ "Know Your Blood Pressure | The Stroke Association". Stroke.org.uk. 1980-01-01. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
  14. ^ "RIBI". RIBI. 2009-04-07. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
  15. ^ "Action on Stroke Month | The Stroke Association". Stroke.org.uk. 1980-01-01. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
  16. ^ "My Stroke Victory". Stroke.org.uk. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
  17. ^ "Ask First | The Stroke Association". Stroke.org.uk. 1980-01-01. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
  18. ^ "What we've achieved | The Stroke Association". Stroke.org.uk. 1980-01-01. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
  19. ^ a b [5][dead link]
  20. ^ http://www.stroke.org.uk/sites/default/files/files/The_Stroke_Association_Strategy_2010_to_2015_(March_2010)_FIN1[1].pdf
  21. ^ http://wwww.ukstrokeforum.org/about
  22. ^ "About the UK Stroke Assembly | UK Stroke Assembly". Strokeassembly.org.uk. 2012-07-07. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
  23. ^ "Stroke Alliance For Europe (SAFE) > Home". Safestroke.org. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
  24. ^ "Stroke Alliance For Europe (SAFE) > About SAFE > Aims Of SAFE". Safestroke.org. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
  25. ^ "Stroke Association". Civilsociety.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
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