March 2024 Newsletter Aphasia Awareness Video Jonathan Hirons, a good friend of the Say Aphasia Exeter group has created this documentary to raise awareness about aphasia. Jonathan speaks about his experience: "...It was intensely frustrating. My body worked ok, my awareness was unimpaired, but I couldn’t communicate, and it’s called Aphasia. The only way to improve the condition is not to give in. The speech therapy, which was very good, was done here in Seaton, and I was lucky that Ann, with her background in psychology, was able to give me reading exercises every morning, which were particularly helpful and kept me on track. During my year’s recovery, I met the Aphasia support group, (then called Living with Aphasia), in Exeter, run by Barbara Chalk, an ex-speech therapist. They’re now called Say Aphasia. She told me their reason for existence was because Aphasia sufferers have nowhere else to go, and it struck me that something needed to be done about it; I decided to put together a documentary film." You can read more about Jonathan's story here. Mark, the Peer Leader from Skipton raises awareness of aphasia at local Carehome Springbank Care Home recently hosted a valuable meeting for residents and their families, welcoming Mark and Caroline from Say Aphasia Skipton. Mark and Caroline emphasized the importance of Aphasia etiquette, offering valuable insights into interacting effectively with individuals experiencing the condition. Looking ahead, both organizations are committed to further staff training and raising awareness of Aphasia, particularly during Aphasia Awareness Month in June. This collaboration aims to enhance communication and understanding within the care home, ensuring residents with Aphasia receive the best possible support and care. You can read more about this meeting here. Skipton Building Society Headquarters Display Aphasia Art A series of augmented reality art posters, created by artist and stroke survivor, Mark Chappell, has gone on display at Skipton Building Society's headquarters. Mark and Caroline's efforts don't stop there. They also have an article about this in the local paper, Craven Herald. Say Aphasia are seeking iPads To support the operation of the support groups and enhance accessibility for individuals with aphasia, the charity is seeking iPads. These iPads will empower our Peer Leaders with aphasia to effectively carry out administrative tasks essential for ensuring the safety of our members. Do you work with a company who could donate an iPad / tablet device? Fill out this form. Winchester's Liberal Democrat election candidate visited Say Aphasia Winchester Peer leaders Jez and Lloyd regularly invite their local MP's to visit their aphasia support group, in the hope it will increase understanding of aphasia amongst local MP's. The group also appeared in their local newspaper the Hampshire Chronicle. Aphasia public speaking achievements Peer leader, Lloyd Brammer and one member Dave Lea spoke at Chandlers Ford Stroke Group's 10th Anniversary celebrations. What an achievement and huge confidence boost to speak publicly with the struggles of aphasia. Say Aphasia Woodingdean has huge success with their inspiring 'get to know me' games Peer leader Mon says: "I asked our members to think of a 'claim to fame' they'd had. Everyone wrote their story down, these were put into a bowl and drawn out one a time and we had to guess whose 'claim to fame ' it was! Everyone took part, it opened lots of discussion and we learnt a lot more about each other. I had really good feedback from the members and I would recommend other groups give it a go." Another Brighton Half Marathon Success We were delighted to have 45 people running for Say Aphasia at the Brighton Half Marathon in February. Our runners raised £10,538! But it doesn't have to stop there. Fundraising pages are still open for donations. One runner, Tommy Rowlingson, raised a whopping £1,600 He says: "I have been very fortunate while fundraising to experience the true kindness and strength of my community. Whether that be at home or at university, I was absolutely blown away by people’s generosity. We chose ‘say aphasia’ as a charity because it was an issue that many of us hadn’t heard of prior to the Brighton Half marathon, but upon researching it and looking into stories of people affected by aphasia, we couldn’t help but acknowledge the need to get behind a charity that does such amazing work for an underrepresented community. The Brighton half marathon itself was my first ever competitive race and by far the longest distance I’d ever run. It was definitely a struggle and the last two miles were two of the most difficult miles I’ve ever run in my life! However the relief and rewarding feeling you get once you cross the finish line is one I’ll never forget and can’t wait to feel again next year." Shops will donate on your behalf with Give As You Live We wanted to let you know about a great FREE fundraising tool from our friends at Give as you Live. If you shop online for your groceries, did you know you could be earning a free donation for us with every order? It's a great way to support us for free, and the donations really add up over the year! You can raise donations on your online shopping at these supermarkets: Sainsbury's, Tesco, Waitrose, Morrisons, Ocado and Iceland. If you're interested in signing up to support us, you can find out more here. Booking a holiday? 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