Stroke survivor looking to bring patients together

A stroke survivor is looking to use his own difficult recovery experiences to help others to rebuild their lives after a stroke.

Mick Spence from Melksham, Wiltshire, has joined forces with the Stroke Association to launch a new scheme to try and bring stroke survivors together.

It is hoped that this will generate a community of peer support, enabling stroke survivors to regain their confidence and some aspects of their daily lives.

Mr Spence says he was helped a great deal by the Stroke Association, after his life was rocked by three strokes in November 2008.

"When you have a stroke you need someone who will understand the difficulties that you face. The Stroke Association has been my scaffolding," he said.

Mr Spence has now begun volunteering for the charity in a bid to help devise useful activities to bring survivors closer together.

The charity estimates that each year up to 20,000 people under the age of 45 have a stroke.

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