InterAct Stroke Support

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.

Have you submitted your entry for the Ruth Rendell Short Story Competition?Brief: To write a story in 1000 words.Tip: We...
15/12/2025

Have you submitted your entry for the Ruth Rendell Short Story Competition?

Brief: To write a story in 1000 words.
Tip: We look for positive stories that can be read in the sensitive environment of a hospital setting
Prize: The winner of the competition will be commissioned to write four further stories for InterAct Stroke Support over the course of one year and will receive £1,000 in payment.
Runners up: The top 3 stories are shortlisted and performed by professional actors that work for InterAct Stroke Support during an award ceremony, taking place in 2026.
Entry fee: £15.00 via our JustGiving page

For more information and to apply, visit our website: www.interactstroke.org (link also in bio)

Previously judged by the late thriller and murder mystery author, Ruth Rendell CBE - InterAct’s Short Story Competition is now named after her. The competition is more recently judged by Margaret Drabble DBE; biographer, novelist and short story writer.

So what are you waiting for? Get writing! Deadline: 5pm, 21st December 2025

We want to say a huge thank you for supporting InterAct Stroke Support during our BBC Radio 4 Charity Appeal. Together, ...
01/12/2025

We want to say a huge thank you for supporting InterAct Stroke Support during our BBC Radio 4 Charity Appeal. Together, we have raised just under £5,000 which will go directly towards stroke survivors across the UK.

Because of your generosity, stroke survivors like Edward are receiving the vital actor-led reading sessions that help stimulate memory, improve communication, and support recovery. 🧠👄🙏

You may have heard our appeal on the radio today? Help us to make our appeal count by sending us a donation before Satur...
13/11/2025

You may have heard our appeal on the radio today? Help us to make our appeal count by sending us a donation before Saturday 15th November.
Any amount, small or large, will contribute towards the tremendous work of our actors who visit 20 different stroke wards twice-three times a week to uplift and stimulate the patients. 🧠✨

Our BBC Radio 4 Appeal is officially live! 📻🎙️🙌❤️If you see the value in our work, please consider making a donation thi...
10/11/2025

Our BBC Radio 4 Appeal is officially live! 📻🎙️🙌❤️

If you see the value in our work, please consider making a donation this week (before Saturday 15th November). £40 will pay for the delivery of a two-hour hospital session on a stroke ward.

If you’re not familiar with our work and you missed the first airing of our appeal, you can listen to it on demand via BBC SOUNDS or tune in on Thursday at 3:27pm to hear the next broadcast.

Listen: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002lzzk
DONATE🧠 : https://www.bbc.co.uk/appeal/radio4

We’re hiring for our London teams! 📚✨ 🏥If you are an actor who’s interested in using your storytelling skills on the str...
28/10/2025

We’re hiring for our London teams! 📚✨ 🏥
If you are an actor who’s interested in using your storytelling skills on the stroke ward, we would love to hear from you!

Each reading session is 2 hours and paid £35 plus travel. You are required to carry out a DBS check for this position and we will be prioritising actors who live within 30 minutes commute of one of our hospitals.

To apply, please email info@interactstroke.org with your CV and a short cover letter. Do remember to let us know which hospital you are applying for. We look forward to hearing from you!

23/10/2025

A star of Celebrity Gogglebox, veteran of QI and Have I Got News For You, a reporter on The One Show, a presenter on Pointless, a guest on Would I Lie to You? and a regular on This Morning – Gyles is a familiar voice to many.

Listen in for a sneak preview of his experience as a Patron of InterAct. Remember you can catch the full story on the 9th and 13th November on BBC Radio 4.

More details can be found in our bio or on our website.

How beautiful is this poem, written by one of our stroke survivors for their InterAct reader, Janina .A heartfelt thank-...
21/10/2025

How beautiful is this poem, written by one of our stroke survivors for their InterAct reader, Janina .

A heartfelt thank-you in the form of poetry a reminder of the deep connection that blossoms between our readers and patients through the simple act of reading aloud. 📖

We are honoured to announce... Gyles Brandreth will be presenting a BBC Radio 4 Appeal in support of InterAct Stroke Sup...
16/10/2025

We are honoured to announce... Gyles Brandreth will be presenting a BBC Radio 4 Appeal in support of InterAct Stroke Support this November!

Tune in to BBC Radio 4 on Sunday 9th November or Thursday 13th November to hear more about why Gyles Brandreth wants to represent us for this appeal.

We are honoured to announce… will be presenting a BBC Radio 4 Appeal in support of InterAct Stroke Support this Novembe...
16/10/2025

We are honoured to announce… will be presenting a BBC Radio 4 Appeal in support of InterAct Stroke Support this November ✨🎙️

Tune in to on Sunday 9th November or Thursday 13th November to hear about why he’s chosen to support us for this appeal.

These beautiful words came from one of our patients at West Middlesex Hospital . A reminder of how powerful a simple sto...
14/10/2025

These beautiful words came from one of our patients at West Middlesex Hospital . A reminder of how powerful a simple story can be. Every time our readers walk into a ward, they bring more than books; they bring connection, laughter, and hope. 📖

Last but not least…The smooth voice of Classic FM, a best-selling author and trained actor. Zeb Soanes has countless tal...
02/10/2025

Last but not least…The smooth voice of Classic FM, a best-selling author and trained actor. Zeb Soanes has countless talent and that’s why he’s our Judge.

3 more days to register for the webinar before it’s too late! (Link in bio & website)

Zeb Soanes:

Special programmes and interviews have included: Dame Judi’s Classical Favourites in which Judi Dench shared her favourite pieces of classical music; Sir Simon Russell Beale’s Life in Music, recorded live with the choir of St Martin-in-the-Fields and a widely shared interview with Cynthia Erivo, focusing on her singing technique for the premiere of the movie Wicked.

His best-selling first book for children, Gaspard the Fox, inspired by his remarkable encounters with an urban fox, was published in May 2018, illustrated by James Mayhew. It was followed by Gaspard Best in Show (2019). The third adventure, Gaspard’s Foxtrot (2021), was conceived as both a book and narrated concert work, composed by Jonathan Dove, which received its world premiere at the 2021 Three Choirs Festival, performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra. The Royal Scottish National Orchestra took it on tour throughout Scotland, narrated by Zeb, where it was seen by over 130,000 schoolchildren. Zeb and Jonathan collaborated again on his fourth book, Gaspard’s Christmas, which premiered at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall in December 2022 and has since been performed by the Hallé and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic orchestras.

We can’t believe how lucky we are to have Bridgerton star Harriet Cains as one of our webinar readers!! Don’t forget to ...
30/09/2025

We can’t believe how lucky we are to have Bridgerton star Harriet Cains as one of our webinar readers!!

Don’t forget to register the live event on Monday via the link in our bio.

Harriet trained at the Television Workshop from the age of 16 - 21. Her earlier credits include In The Flesh for the BBC and Safe House for ITV.

Her most recent television credits include Bridgerton for Netflix and Half Bad: The Bastard Son & the Devil Himself, also for Netflix.

Her latest role is in the 2025 film Saipan portraying Theresa Keane.

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