Life after stroke grows with new charity allotment

Life After Stroke grows in Rochdale with new charity allotment

Stroke survivors and their carers in Rochdale can now enjoy gardening and grow their own fruit and vegetables, after a new accessible allotment has officially opened in Rochdale.

The Stroke Association hosted the opening of the allotment, opposite Mayfield Rugby Club on Chadwick Lane, with an afternoon tea party on Thursday 14 August.

After three months of preparation, the allotment will be attended twice a week during the summer months by service users and carers from the Stroke Association’s Life after Stroke Service in Rochdale.

Brian Bennett, from Rochdale, cares for his partner Emily who had a stroke ten years ago. He visits the allotment twice as week as a form of relaxation, and also helps support the stroke survivors who attend the sessions. He said: “People who attend the allotment can do as much or as little as possible. It’s helped lift my mood tremendously and is a great way to relax.

"The vegetables we’ve been growing have been coming on really well, so were even able to include some of the tomatoes and radishes in our sandwiches at the afternoon tea.”

Joanne Mundey, Communication Support Coordinator at the Stroke Association added: “The sessions at the allotment help stroke survivors gain satisfaction by growing fruit and vegetables. It also helps them to interact with others to improve confidence and reduce social isolation. An everyday activity such as gardening can help with motivation and reduce anxiety, as well as providing exercise so it’s great to see so many of our service users getting involved with the allotment.”

The Stroke Association provides a Life After Stroke Service in Rochdale, funded by Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Clinical Commissioning Group. For more information about stroke, ring the Helpline on 0303 30 33 100 or visit www.stroke.org.uk.