Stroke Clubs

• Stroke Clubs
• Hamilton Stroke Club
• Cambridge Stroke & Rehabilitation Club (Non affiliated)
• Te Awamutu Stroke Club
• South Waikato Stroke Support Group
• Morrinsville Stroke Club
• Whakatane Stroke Club
• Thames Stroke Support Group
• New Plymouth Stroke Support Trust (Non affiliated)
• South Taranaki Stroke Support Group
• Gisborne Stroke Support Group Inc.

Gisborne Stroke Support Group Inc.

 21 March, 2012

 Since our last update, our Patron John Heikell has died and Muriel Jones who was a founding member has died. Sadly Howard Corbin a valued committee member died. Committee member Jan Wright resigned.

 Changes in personnel. Stroke Community Coordinator is Caroline Callow.

Margaret Omunsden and Irene Corbin have joined the committee.

 During 2011 we held a morning tea to honour our valued volunteers who were presented with certificates.

 We continue with our activities – the weekly exercises and the monthly luncheon.

 We now have a Carer’s afternoon tea gathering once a month.

 A young stroke group has started. Julie Ferguson who suffered a stroke says “I had my stroke 19 years ago and have lived my life accepting what happened to me never questioning why or how. Since involving myself with the Stroke Support Group I have learned so much about Stroke and life after Stroke, that I would really like for everyone who has had a stroke to have the same knowledge and understanding.

 I encourage all the Young Stroke Survivors in our community to become part of the Young Stroke Support Group, for your own advantage and to create awareness that there are many people in society like us.

 I recently spoke to a group about young stroke survivors and am aware of the misconception about strokes and the belief that they only happen to older people. I am passionate about creating a public awareness about stroke which can happen to ‘anyone, at any time, any age, anywhere’.  Often we younger ones have a stigma”.

 We are grateful to Julie for being a volunteer with our organisation, helping in the office and taking on the Young Stroke Group.

 The Gisborne Stroke Support Group Inc. has a small, but well equipped office at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Community Centre. We have the use of the hall and lounge for exercises and meetings. Each Thursday, up to 16 members come and attend for the exercises. The exercises are taken by experienced YMCA fitness instructors.

On the first Tuesday of each month – we hold a luncheon at the Tatapouri Fishing & Game Club. It is a wonderful venue right on the wharf with fishing boats, tugs, overseas and local yachts going about their business. Between 30 – 40 people attend the luncheons – stroke survivors with their spouse/carers. A wonderful social opportunity.

The Sunshine Bus brings our members from their homes or rest homes to the luncheon and calls back for them two hours later.

At present we have two volunteer Speech Language Therapists who visit a patient on a one-to-one basis.  We plan to hold our third volunteer training for Speech Language Therapists in liaison with Tairawhiti District Health in the near future.

Personnel: Colleen Ryan is our President, Beverley Smith, Secretary, Dorothy Sparrow, Assistant Treasurer, Committee members: Muriel Jones, Jan Wright and Howard Corbin.

Muriel Jones  was a founding member of Gisborne Stroke Support Group Inc. Her long association and the work she has done for Stroke Survivors in our community has been amazing.

 

Our other Stroke Clubs: