Stroke Association North West

08/12/2025

For stroke survivors and other people interested in stroke! We are sharing info about a stroke Podcast. Head-Cast is described as “This is the podcast where we dive into all things stroke-related, care, rehabilitation, life after a stroke, the role of carers, and even the latest innovations shaping the future of recovery. We’ll keep it real, informative, and, hopefully, a little inspiring too!”
It is hosted by Phil Woodford - Lancashire stroke survivor, and campaigner for stroke; particularly highlighting the need for thrombectomy treatment provision.
Phil has had chats with some interesting range of specialists.
https://open.spotify.com/show/3IkGXTaSQniqo1kaiTvxLH?si=725bf12b0d4c4a8b

Podcast · Phil Woodford · This is the podcast where we dive into all things stroke-related, care, rehabilitation, life after a stroke, the role of carers, and even the latest innovations shaping the future of recovery. We’ll keep it real, informative, and, hopefully, a little inspiring too!

05/12/2025

As a charity organisation, we want to make sure that our staff can experience the significant benefits that we know volunteering can bring.
We have an option of one day per year that can be used to volunteer for any charity or community cause that's important to us. While many of us chose to the Stroke Association, some of our teams are using their volunteer days to support other charities.
2 of our North West staff Lucy and Jackie had a very festive volunteering day recently. They went to Emmaus Mossley , a local charity who support people who have experience homelessness. They are based in a mill which has enough space for 26 people to live in as well as a huge charity shop, café and workshop. They provide a home, job and community for people who need it.
Lucy shared, "it was so lovely to meet the staff and volunteers and help set up their Christmas event. It was hard work putting up 5 Christmas trees – we were covered in glitter! "

04/12/2025

We are supporting the Good Health messaging from the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board with information to help us Stay Well This Winter
Eat Smart for Better Health
Cold weather can take a toll on your body, but eating well is one of the best ways to keep your energy up and your immune system strong.
✅ Warm, balanced meals help you stay nourished and cosy.
✅ Plenty of fruit and veg provide essential vitamins to fight winter bugs.
✅ Stay hydrated – even when it’s chilly, your body still needs fluids.
Discover more tips on eating well this winter: https://orlo.uk/N4dxv
or have a look at https://www.stroke.org.uk/resources/healthy-eating-and-stroke

Good health starts with eating well

02/12/2025

We are supporting the Good Health messaging from the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board with information to help us Stay Well This Winter
There are some things you can do to help yourself 💉 ❄️ Winter vaccinations offer vital protection against flu, COVID-19, and some respiratory virus. Some people who have had a stroke can be at higher risk of developing flu complications. Whether it’s at your GP surgery, local pharmacy, the vaccine van, or one of our many pop-up clinics in the community, you can choose the time and place that works best for you.
Get protected, visit:

The flu and coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines are safe and effective. They give you the best protection against winter viruses

01/12/2025

The Stroke Support Helpline is here for you and your family and friends, wherever you are in the UK. Please note: Support Line will be closed on Thursday 4 December for a staff training day. We’ll be open as usual on Friday 5 December from 9.00am - 5.00pm.
Call: 0303 3033 100 or email: helpline@stroke.org.uk

We work with SignVideo to help British Sign Language (BSL) users in the UK to communicate over the phone.
If you would like to speak to us in a language other than English, please let us know at the start of the call. This service provides interpreters who can speak over 200 different languages.
https://www.stroke.org.uk/stroke/support/helpline

26/11/2025

Opportunity for People with Lived Experience:

The Richmond Group of Charities’ is a coalition of 15 national health and care charities, working together to support people living with long-term health conditions.

One of their focus areas is physical activity. As part of this work, they are recruiting for a Lived Experience Network of people who live with one or more physical and/or mental long-term health conditions. The network will share their insights, experiences, and ideas to help enable more people living with long-term health conditions to be physically active in ways that work for them.

No prior experience in advocacy or networks is needed – just a voice and willingness to be involved.

The programme is hosted by Age UK, and more information can be found here on their website -

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26/11/2025

Some of the North West team are attending the national Stroke Forum this week.
This is the UK's largest conference for stroke care professionals.
There is a lot of focus on sharing research and how this can shape stroke treatment and care that improves stroke prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation.
Did you know we fund research in the North West and also encourage people affected by stroke to take part in research studies?
See here for information about one the studies we fund

Why is this research needed? Up to three quarters of stroke survivors experience challenges with their mental health, ranging from anxiety to suicidal thoughts. Thanks to our Priority Setting Partnership with the James Lind Alliance, we also know that the number one research priority for the stroke

20/11/2025

Across the UK, 85,000 people are about to experience their first Christmas as stroke survivors. Our film captures what that experience looks like for so many...

You can watch and share here. 👇

18/11/2025

A huge congratulations to everyone at Stroke Survivors Speech and Language Support group for being honoured with The King's Award for Voluntary Services 2025! Such exciting news!

Find your local Stroke Support Group by following this link and searching your town - https://www.stroke.org.uk/stroke/support/groups

17/11/2025

Do you remember we told you that carers from the Manchester Strokies group had shared their experiences with BBC Manchester to help raise awareness about how a whole family can be affected by stroke?

They particularly wanted to highlight the needs of children, and information available for children in a family affected by stroke.

So we are sharing books tailored for the children of stroke survivors. These resources are from partner organisation Different Strokes Charity
an organisation dedicated to supporting younger stroke survivors and their families.
The books are designed to help kids understand and talk about what happens when someone they love has a stroke. Children who have been through this themselves have been involved in producing these.

There are 3 different resources: a beautiful storybook for children aged 3-7, a booklet for kids aged 8-12, and a helpful guide for teens aged 13-18.
See here

Different Strokes is excited to share our new resources tailored for the children of stroke survivors. These resources are here to help kids understand and talk about what happens when someone they love has a stroke.

14/11/2025

We recently hosted 3 meet ups for stroke support group volunteers in the North West to enjoy learning and sharing ideas. It was great to see 14 groups represented where we had productive and engaging discussions throughout the day including exploring how we can work together to offer the best support for stroke survivors. We also discussed Group activities, and we heard about Chair yoga, bird box decorating, mosaics, boccia, quizzes, and sunflower growing competitions. Some groups also have speakers come in to give talks, such as; Co-op (legal topics), Fire and Rescue, RNLI, University of the Third Age (U3A), musicians, therapy dogs, the Deaf Sign Choir and more.

Do you volunteer for a Stroke Support group? Why not join our network and join us next time?

Click this link for more info about our Stroke Group Network: https://www.stroke.org.uk/stroke/support/groups/about