COLIN LYALL Founder of Say Aphasia and a peer leader who runs the drop in groups. Expand Colin is the founder of Say Aphasia, with the support of friends who have aphasia. He had a stroke in 2013 which resulted in him becoming aphasic. He began the charity three years later when another aphasia charity ceased to exist. He knew first hand how much of a positive impact a support group has. And so he set up his own charity so that he could continue a much needed support group in his local area. Colin was 50 when he had his stroke, and could not longer continue his career as a Director of a commercially designed building services solution company. He had worked at MTT Consultants for 12 years. After he had a stroke he could not go back to work with his new condition 'aphasia'. He lost his successful career and his house which his wife had recently designed into their dream home. Colin is an extremely positive and determined man, and so, he took it upon himself to set up a charity to help others just like him. The charity has given him purpose, goals to achieve and a new sense of success. He hopes that this charity will become that life line for others too.
ANA AMAYA Appointed to the Board of Trustees in November 2016 Expand "I am an independent Speech and Language Therapist specialising in adult neurology, particularly supporting people with communication difficulties following stroke or other acquired brain injuries. During my work at Sussex Community NHS Trust, I helped to establish and led the Aphasia Befriending Scheme. It was through this role, that I met the founder, Colin Lyall, and the inspiring peer leaders of Say Aphasia. I worked as the Outreach Project Mentor for the Brighton and Hove aphasia drop-in group from February 2014 following its launch in October 2013. I now am proud to be a Trustee of Say Aphasia. My role includes sharing my experience and knowledge of working with people with aphasia, supporting fundraising initiatives and raising awareness of stroke and aphasia. It is wonderful to see Say Aphasia continuing to grow, offering fantastic services across the country to support people with aphasia, particularly the drop-in services. "
Kirsty Maguire Appointed to the Board of Trustees in April 2019 Expand '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 Trustee of 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.'
DAVID LYALL Appointed to the Board of Trustees in September 2016 Expand I’m David, Colin’s brother and a trustee of the charity, SayAphasia. I’m immensely proud of what Colin and the team have achieved with the charity and thrilled that it reaches so many people in such a positive way. I run a small furniture making business which started in 1985 called Osiris furniture, I then merged with a friend and competitor in 2004 to create OPM Furniture. We manufacture bespoke board room and meeting room furniture using a mixture of traditional and modern materials and techniques, and incorporating current communications and technology equipment. I am in awe of what Say Aphasia has achieved in a relatively short time and with very limited resources, it is very important that the charity and especially the drop in centres are able to continue, as they not only provide a great opportunity for folk to get out, to meet and to be a part of a common community whilst participating in hobbies that otherwise may not be available, but it also gives the peer leaders, and the rest of the service users, a goal to focus on short, medium and long term. So although Colin probably doesn’t realise it, he is a great role model……an example of what can be achieved by anyone who is unfortunate enough to suffer the effects of a stroke.
Emma Virrill Appointed to the Board of Trustees in September 2016 Expand I worked at MTT as Colin’s PA for 7 years before he had his stroke. I am pleased to now be a trustee of Say Aphasia to continue providing support. I hope that my financial and administrative experience provides assistance to the day to day running of such a fantastic charity.