Different Strokes logo
06-10-2020 Different Strokes

Different Strokes is a national charity which was established in 1996 to support working age and younger stroke survivors. Since its inception it has supported around 25,000 stroke survivors and their families, and in 2019 helped around 6,500 people.

Stroke is especially isolating for working age people, and younger stroke survivors may face changes to virtually every aspect of life – wellbeing, communication, mobility, employment, independence, social life and relationships.

Different Strokes supports younger stroke survivors through a network of local peer support and exercise groups, through a thriving online community, by the provision of information packs, and by offering advice and support by telephone, including a teen and young adult befriending service.

Since the onset of Covid-19 the organisation has introduced a range of online activities to ensure that stroke survivors continue to receive the support they need in these challenging times. These include daily online exercise sessions, weekly online taichi, a series of guest speakers, and online stroke survivor video interviews.

A huge emphasis is placed on peer support and the concept of ‘survivors supporting survivors’, with approximately half of the charities trustees and paid staff themselves being stroke survivors.

Resources