Kirsty Maguire

'I'm Kirsty, and I work for Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust as a Speech and Language Therapist. I work as part of a Multi Disciplinary Team eg with physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists.  My role is to provide intensive rehabilitation to adults with acquired neurological impairments, including stroke.  Working with people with Aphasia is a large part of my job, and an area I find extremely rewarding yet challenging.  Living with an acquired brain injury and aphasia is a life long condition, and I feel passionately about the importance of long term support for people in this position and their families.  I have worked closely with Colin Lyall and a number of other people with Aphasia in Brighton and Hove as part of an Aphasia Befriending Scheme I coordinate. This aims to combat loneliness in housebound people living with aphasia. It compliments the work of Say Aphasia and their peer led groups, which offer a lifeline for many people affected by brain injury and aphasia.

As a long term volunteer for the charity, I see my role as sharing my knowledge and experience of working with aphasia to help develop and guide the vision of the charity.  This includes raising the profile of the charity and developing links between Say Aphasia and the NHS.'