Stroke Association - The Friendship Network (Stroke Association)

Too many local people are dealing with the impacts of stroke in Northern Ireland without sufficent access to support – we want to create a friendship network to change this.

There are 34,000 stroke survivors in Northern Ireland. Someone has a stroke every 2 hours. We want to address the need for support by creating a network of trained volunteers across the province, available to support people affected by stroke and encourage a positive and empowering approach to ‘life after stroke’. This may be through encouraging stroke survivors to get involved in their local communities again, enjoying a night at the cinema together or sharing a chat over a cuppa. The friendship volunteers will play a vital role in supporting people experiencing difficulties with their psychological and emotional wellbeing after having a stroke.

There is a real need for the friendship network, many stroke survivors are living in social isolation. It will create much needed friendships, social circles and one-to-one bonds across Northern Ireland.