To keep supporting my fellow stroke survivors, Toby and I will be climbing the virtual equivalent of Cairngorm between us.  For those of you in the south, Cairngorm is in the Highlands of Scotland, 40 miles south of Inverness and is the 7th highest mountain in the UK.  At 4,084 ft high (1245 m) high, it will take 473 flights of our stairs!!!! 

Phill is doing a virtual London Marathon after receiving the ballot rejection top for the real thing!  He will be clocking up the miles by air walking and running round the garden.  The beagles have promised they will help!!

Jake will be cycling 26 km over the 5 days which will be his daily exercise and his girlfriend, Tiphanie, will be running on her treadmill and walking Minnie the puppy to make a total of 26 km over 5 days too.

Different Strokes is a national charity that is run by younger stroke survivors for younger stroke survivors.  Every year, 30,000 strokes in the UK happen to people of working age and younger so not just the elderly!   We support each other through peer to peer support to aid recovery and reclaim our lives.  After I had my stroke I found the support invaluable especially through the Facebook group and it made me realise that I was not alone with the massive impact it had had on me personally and also my family.   A stroke turns your life upside down and inside out. The effects of a stroke are often not physically visible which can leave you feeling very vulnerable as it is not easy to explain to others . 

A year after my stroke, I was extremely fortune to be able to go and work with the fantastic team that run Different Strokes.  For me, supporting others after they have had a stroke means I have found a positive aspect to my stroke.  I only hope the people I speak to or email realise how much they support me too! 

Any donations, no matter how small, would be gratefully received.

The Poyner's/Tiphanie and all involved with Different Strokes would like to say a big thank you for your support!

Stay safe xx