trainer and a gym that can support my physical recovery, improving my
self-confidence. A Stroke of Luck will do the same for Survivors who may
not have the same expertise or resources to do this for themselves, and
need a bit of support.
How did you come up with the name and logo of A Stroke of Luck?
A Stroke of Luck is the name my wife thought of when I said I wanted to
start a blog tracking my journey through recovery. The name encapsulates
how I feel; it is ‘a stroke of luck’ I am alive. Pretty quickly after buying the
domain to start blogging, I felt I could do more than just blog about my
experiences. I wanted to support my fellow Survivors with something
tangible. That’s when I decided to start a charity. The logo represents
the zones I mentioned earlier. The actual paintbrush stroke will become
recognisable and will stand on its own. The red, amber, and green is a very
visual representation of how a Survivor may be feeling at any particular
moment. It may not be linked to their state of fatigue, but their mood, their
perceived mobility, or even how anxious they are feeling. It is also great for
children and other supporters of Survivors. My daughters always ask how I
am feeling and base their assessment on the logo.
When did A Stroke of Luck launch?
Only recently. It launched on 1st May 2019. When we say we are new, we
really are! It is a very exciting time for me and for my fellow Survivors.
We chose 1st May as the launch date as it is only a few days after the 1st
anniversary of my stroke, and May is also Stroke Awareness Month. It
seemed like the perfect date to bring A Stroke of Luck to life.
Why is A Stroke of Luck needed?
Often, the results of a stroke leave a Survivor with significant motor and
neuro challenges. The physical, mental, emotional, and social impacts of
a stroke can be damaging to the Survivor’s appetite for life. According to
the State of the Nation Stroke statistics authored by Stroke Association in
February 2018, there are over 1.2 million Stroke Survivors in the UK with
another 100,000 strokes in the UK each year. Over two thirds of these
Survivors leave hospital with a disability. In addition, this research suggests
that investing in physical rehabilitation to the tune of £10m could result
in a saving of c.£750m by 2035. We need to provide the opportunity for
Survivors to get active and promote physical rehabilitation for the benefit
of all. Even just using this as evidence, it is clear that both Survivors and the
NHS need support. That’s what A Stroke of Luck will do, with your help.
How does A Stroke of Luck work?
It’s a very simple concept; we match Stroke Survivors with Fitness
Professionals to get Stroke Survivors physically active. We are building a
web platform where Stroke Survivors register and create their personal
profile. They will become a member of the ‘A Stroke of Luck Survivor’s
Club’. This club will provide health and wellbeing advice as well as access to
fitness videos.
Personal Trainers will also register on the platform and create their
personal profile where they will become a member of the ‘A Stroke of Luck
Expert’s Club’. By registering on the platform, Personal Trainers now have
access to new prospective clients. Funding received by A Stroke of Luck will
be converted to credits. These credits can be used by the Stroke Survivor to
book a session with a qualified A Stroke of Luck approved Personal Trainer.
In addition, we are creating ‘A Stroke of Luck Supporters’ Club’ for those
who support the A Stroke of Luck journey. It is anticipated that A Stroke
of Luck will not be limiting its services to just Personal Training. As we
grow, we will bring on board other wellbeing services for Stroke Survivors
to spend their credits on. It could be dance classes, golf tuition, swimming
lessons, meditation classes, or any other activity provided by A Stroke of
Luck’s partners.
This seems like a great initiative. What are the immediate plans for the
charity?
We have two distinct priority areas:
1. Raise start-up funds; and
2. Drive awareness to Survivors, Personal Trainers, and Supporters so they
register on our website.
attributed to building the A Stroke of Luck Team. We are creating jobs for
local people, and we need your help to do that! The funding we require to
complete the digital infrastructure is £20,000. This will allow us to complete
the build of the portal and provide Survivors with the opportunity to
engage with Personal Trainers. Additional funding received will be spent
on staffing A Stroke of Luck as well as developing the charity’s collateral.
So, when will the portal be ready?
This is a date for your diary! On the evening of Friday 6th September
2019, we will be having a big-bash. The evening will be the official launch
of the A Stroke of Luck membership portal. This will be an event not to
be missed! It is going to be a fantastic evening. The venue is stunning.
The finer details of the evening will be announced over the coming days
via A Stroke of Luck’s social media channels. Expect auction prizes which
money cannot usually buy, a live band, a headline guest speaker, and other
super stuff! Tickets will be on sale from A Stroke of Luck imminently.
Interestingly, we have already sold a number of tables before we have even
announced the details!
What are your aspirations for the charity?
We don’t just want Stroke Survivors to survive, we want them to THRIVE.
This mantra will drive us to be one of the biggest stroke charities in the UK.
A Stroke of Luck’s aim is to engage with each and every Stroke Survivor
who wants our support. We would like to enhance the lives of every Stroke
Survivor, regardless of their post-stroke effects, by giving them access to
long-term physical and emotional care following the discharge from the
medical professionals. My nirvana would be for fellow Stroke Survivors
to benefit so positively from their Personal Training that they train to
become ‘A Stroke of Luck Personal Trainer’ themselves. We are going to be
introducing a bursary scheme to enable this to happen. A Stroke of Luck is
working in partnership with Lifetime Training, an award-winning national
training provider who will provide the training for Survivors to become
qualified Personal Trainers. In fact, Lifetime Training have agreed to train
me to become a Personal Trainer so I can deliver sessions to fellow Stroke
Survivors. We are very proud to be working with such a fantastic company.
Where can we find out more information?
Please visit our website at www.astrokeofluck.co.uk where you can have a
look around and find out more about the work we are doing. A Stroke of
Luck is working with a fantastic fully integrated communications agency;
Ubiquity Group, who have managed everything from concept through
to execution. In addition, Ubiquity Group will be managing the charity’s
social media accounts.
We can see your passion for A Stroke of Luck but what are your personal
goals?
To live a healthy life and be proud of what we can achieve together at A
Stroke of Luck. I regularly attend EMPOWEREDFIT in Wirral and work
with my Personal Trainer, Joe Ward. It is a fantastic gym where everyone
makes me feel very welcome. Their Personal Trainers really like the A
Stroke of Luck concept and are getting involved.
Remember I mentioned I used to be a swimmer! Well, I am also going to
compete in the British National Masters’ Swimming Championships this
coming October and will be raising funds for the charity. I’m really looking
forward to competing again after nearly 15 years. Keep a look out!
I was recently a guest speaker at Siemens Healthineers, who manufacture
MRI machines, to talk to their whole staff. The talk was given from a
Patient’s Perspective, and how without them, I would not have survived.
I was able to draw on my personal experience and talk from the heart.
Since then, I have been asked to speak at schools and corporate businesses
regarding ‘Resilience’ and ‘In the face of adversity’. This is something I am
passionate about continuing.
To support A Stroke of Luck’s journey, you can donate at:
www.astrokeofluck.co.uk. Donations of any size will be greatly received.
The most important aspect to the start of our journey is raising the vital
funds which allows us to realise A Stroke of Luck’s potential. The income
we receive over the next few months will support the final building phase
of the membership portal and matching system. In addition, income will be
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