Incorporating News Bulletin No. 15)

SUCCESS AFTER STROKE SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2020 (incorporating News Bulletin No. 15) Copies of the weekly Success After Stroke News Bulletins, which have been helping to keep our members and volunteers in touch during our closure due to Covid-19, are available on our website, www.successafterstroke.org.uk/news. A note from the Chairman of Trustees, Suc- holding their groups using Zoom is keeping us cess After Stroke active and alert. This, together with the invalua- ble work of Pam Lawrence and our volunteers, This is our first Newsletter without Success After who have formed a telephone network to help Stroke (SAS) being in full swing. I know how diffi- support SAS members, means we are probably cult that must be for many of us. However, if working at 50% capacity but we do miss the one looks closely at the articles in this Newsletter twice weekly social contact at the Stevenson by Terry Waite, SAS well-being therapist Pam Centre. There is light at the end of the tunnel Lawrence and SAS member Christine Stibbe, and, although none of us can predict precisely there are a lot of good motivational ideas to ben- when we will get back together, we have put in a efit from. The articles contain helpful guidance lot of hard work in to date so let’s keep going. and advice which should inspire us all to make Our finances are in reasonable shape, although the best of the current situation. our reserves are slipping a little. SAS trustee, Viv From 4th July, when some of the lockdown rules Bourne’s initiative for a fundraising challenge will are relaxed, life will hopefully begin to feel less help reverse this, so please get involved (see restricted, and I hope that you will all be taking page 8). Thank you Jan for all your brilliant News small steps to resume some of the more pleasur- Bulletins, they are very helpful in keeping the able activities we have all been missing. team spirit going. The brilliant work of Jeannette (physiotherapist) Best wishes to you all and see you one day soon. and Chris and Clare (Speech and Language) in Richard Furlonger Some of the articles in the Summer Newsletter 2020/News Bulletin 15 … A message from friend of Success After Stroke, Terry Waite … page 2 News from the BrushStroke Festival of Art … page 3 Christine’s Story … page 4 Viv Bourne’s Success After Stroke Fundraising Challenge … page 8 The Essex and Suffolk Quiz … page 10 1 A Message from Terry Waite to Success frightened. That is a normal reaction. We know After Stroke Members and Volunteers that we have to make many changes to our way of living and that we might suffer some hardships. Today I have been doing a seminar online for As we think about this we wonder if we will be some 1400 people from across the world. All of able to make it. them are working from home and many are anx- Well, I can say from my own experience, and from ious about their own mental and physical health listening to many hundreds of other people who and also about the future. In several cases their have faced a life changing situation, we all have jobs are threatened and what they thought was a gifts and abilities within us that we never knew secure position has vanished literally overnight. we had. It can take a crisis to bring them to the We never know what is around the corner do we? fore and for us to recognise them. Many years ago I went with my wife and my Life is not fair and some suffer more than others. young son to visit my sister-in-law who lived in However, in most cases something creative can San Francisco. We did the usual touristy things emerge from suffering. We don’t need to look for and before we left we took a boat out to visit the suffering, it will find us, but when it does it need former prison Alcatraz. That one time jail is now not be a total disaster. It may seem as though it a tourist attraction and can only be reached by is at the time but it can be, and often is, a time taking a small boat and walking up the steep when gifts and abilities that have lain dormant for pathway to the jail itself. years can be given expression. It was a pretty formidable place. At the best of We can be surprised at the people who are times San Francisco can be plagued by mist and around to offer help and support. We can get to fog and the island jail had more than its fair share know others who have faced a similar difficulty of such conditions. and risen above it. Yes, a new and often very We were shown around and at one point we different world will open up if we let it. were asked if we would like to go into the punish- The human spirit is strong and all of us can draw ment cell. A few of us stepped inside and the on that strength that lies within. If for a moment door closed leaving us in total darkness. We had you don’t feel that you can, then there are others been told that some errant prisoners were put in who are around to offer their strength to you. here for up to five days. I remember thinking that Life is never totally certain and, whether we know I would never be able to put up with being in the it or not, we do live with uncertainty every day. dark and alone for such a period of time. How Part of the secret is to live for now. To recognise wrong can you be? Three weeks later I was tak- that we still have life and that life needs to be en hostage in Beirut and was kept in solitary con- lived to the full. finement for almost five years, much of the time Keep as well as you can and more than anything in darkness. else, keep hope alive. We never know what lies around the corner. One moment we are living what seems to be a perfectly ordinary life and the next we are struck down with a stroke or some other illness. For all their faults, human beings have a remarkable capacity for survival. As I said, I never thought that 2020 I would be able to live in solitary for years. I Well dear members, we did it! We managed to thought that I would lose my mind or become se- pull off the BrushStroke Exhibi- riously ill from some physical condition or other. tion just before the lockdown As it was I survived and, looking back, in fact I and we have managed to se- gained a great deal from the experience. cure some revenue for the When something quite radical happens in our coffers. I think that this time lives and we are faced with making a dramatic the members’ art was excep- change we can, understandably, become very tional and once again, nearly every piece was sold. A huge 2 pat on the back and a massive thank you to dear Marnie and all her helpers. Our local artists also came up trumps with some absolutely beautiful work. Opening Night and Loudon with Barbara working on the Opening night book-keeping! and SAS members’ artwork One of my favourite parts of the whole exhibition was going to Suffolk Radio to speak about Success After Stroke and the forthcoming event with SAS member Fiona. What a truly inspirational woman! Chairman Richard Furlonger and Sud- bury Mayor, Rob- ert Spivey and members, Fiona, Judy and Sue with SAS artwork I was pleased with our new colour scheme and the little gardens that added a three dimensional look to the exhibition, I would like to thank Geoffrey and Viv for organising this part of the exhibition. The mini gardens and Charlie Hart giving a very informative gardening and well-being talk Members’ Coffee Morning at the exhibition and Mandy who won the most beautiful cake made and donated by Rob Hedderwick of Flower and Flour Special thanks to Sue McDiamid, Jennie Tanner and Anesta Newson together with their volunteers for organising the pop-up café (and to everyone who baked cakes and biscuits), which is crucial for collecting extra revenue. Finally and by no means least, my particular and Talking of revenue, Loudon must not be for- huge thanks to my dear committee; Barbara, Brid- gotten. His attention to detail is incredible and he get, Sally, Jono, Marnie, Sj, Viv and dearest keeps us all on track with budgets and figures. 3 Geoffrey, not to mention all our volunteers. Christine’s Story They worked so very hard for many months and I am delighted to have been asked if I would write also organised extra events during the week of about my experience of living with a stroke and the exhibition. Without them and the leadership the role that SAS has played in my recovery and of Richard, the exhibition could not happen so, rehabilitation. In order to do this, I thought I my final words are thank you, thank you and would give you some background on my life prior please keep safe and well ( I need you all)! to the stroke as it will give some insight into how I lived and the subsequent impact the stroke has had upon my day to day living.

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