InterAct Stroke Support

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InterAct Stroke Support

Stroke is now the second biggest killer in England and Wales and the main cause of serious disability in the U.K.

InterAct Stroke Support is an award-winning charity aiding stroke recovery by using professional actors to deliver hospital readings & community projects to stroke survivors. A stroke can affect anyone of any age from any background and rehabilitation can be a long and difficult process. It is during hospital recuperation that InterAct makes the difference as early interventions with stroke survivors are a tremendous boost to the recovery process. There is now a growing body of evidence that stimulation through reading and conversational interaction can help the brain find new neural pathways, a phenomenon known as "adaptive rewiring." InterAct encourages adaptive rewiring, work which has been shown to improve patients' mood and motivation, alleviating depression and boredom as well as increasing confidence as patients are able to practise their new-found communcation skills in a non-judgemental environment. InterAct Stroke Support works to improve the rate and quality of an individual's recovery from a stroke by:

improving mood
alleviating post-stroke depression
increasing self-esteem
boosting communication confidence
stimulating the brain
providing entertainment

We currently read in 21 hospitals and over 50 stroke clubs in the UK.

17/03/2026

☘️Happy St Patrick's Day☘️

Blackberry Picking
By the wonderful Seamus Heaney

☘️

15/03/2026

This mothers day we want to highlight Sushila Bahl.

"Sushila Bahl was a gifted teacher who spent her life encouraging everyone to read and enjoy the spoken word. A sari-wearing first generation Punjabi, she taught English and English literature to the teenagers of South East London. She never got over the delight of being able to see the plays she loved come to life in the West End. On Valentine’s Day 2008 she had a stroke, going from walking around London to unable to move her left side in a matter of moments.
During her hospital stay the value of having InterAct volunteers visit, read to her and bring the books she loved to life was beyond measure. Three times a week she was immersed in a different world, reminded that she still had interests, could still enjoy and was still a person.

Sushila was first and foremost a teacher. She nurtured glimmers of interest, persuading, encouraging and expanding the opportunities available to her pupils.

This award is set up to keep those principles going, to encourage pupils to have the confidence to try and put their ideas on paper. Each entry will be read and acknowledged and each entrant will receive a certificate commending them on not just their entry but for taking the time to think about others.

Thank you for your time,

Romila Bahl
Sushila's daughter"

We are grateful to have been able to celebrate Sushila through providing young people with a space to express themselves.

08/03/2026

Happy International Women's Day.
We are proud to have so many brilliant women make up the InterAct team!

05/03/2026

Share with us the books and characters you love! 📚📖

Stories are at the heart of everything we do at InterAct to aid recovery for stroke victims. Our actors lift hundreds of stories off the page each year.
If you know someone who may benefit from our support please get in touch.

04/03/2026

Very proud of InterActor Helen Stern for her nomination as a finalist for Best Non-Fiction Narrator at the Audie Awards 2026.

An increible achievement and hugely deserved!

01/03/2026

Happy St Davids Day! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Miracle On St Davids Day
by the brilliant Gillian Clarkeby.
National Poet of Wales, 2008-2016

🌼

18/02/2026

Happy Valentines Day from all of us at InterAct.

Let our talents actors whisk you away to some of Shakespeares most love filled sonnets.

Our final Shakespeare sonnet is a long loved classic and we are joined by three sensational actors:
Sonnet 57,
read by the brilliant Jacqueline King, Kenneth Michaels & Louisa Breir

15/02/2026

Happy Valentines Day from all of us at InterAct.

Let our talents actors whisk you away to some of Shakespeares most love filled sonnets.

Our second timeless Shakespeare sonnet:
Sonnet 29, read by the wonderful David Prince

14/02/2026

Happy Valentines Day from all of us at InterAct.

Let our talents actors whisk you away to some of Shakespeares most love filled sonnets.

This is the first of three timeless Shakespeare sonnets:
Sonnet 19, read by the brilliant

11/02/2026

To celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science we spoke to InterAct Trustee, Professor Marion Walker MBE, about her wealth of experience in the industry and beyond.

Her insightful advice is a perfect way to inspire the next generation.

30/01/2026

This parent mental health day, invite joy back into the routine of your parent and stroke survivor.
Our professional actors are poised and ready to read their favourite stories, re-live their fondest memories and reinforce the sense of identity they had before the stroke.

InterAct at Home is a free service for up to one reading a week and all readings are carried out via phone or video call. Book their first session today and unlock a new routine for your parent.

29/01/2026

Meet our InterActors

At the centre of InterAct you can find our brilliant actors putting their heart and soul into delivering live, stimulating readings on the stroke ward, in stroke clubs and via our remote service. We are proud of every talented actor we work with and would love to show you who could be reading to you or your loved one.

Actor: Simon Furness

Spotlight PIN: 4932-1276-5617

Address

8 Holyrood Street
London
SE12EL

Telephone

+442038861028

Website

http://www.interactstrokesupport.org/

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