Bridget showed her support for the work of The Stroke Association at a Parliamentary Reception and took time out to meet local stroke survivor and constituent Steve Simpson from Sunderland.

The reception at Westminster provided an opportunity for the charity to highlight the fact that long term support for those that survive a stroke should remain a key priority for the coalition government.

Bridget commented:

“Meeting someone like Steve Simpson demonstrates that there is a life after a stroke for many people that have one. Steve’s speech was inspiring, especially as he is now using his experiences to help others.”

“It is vital that stroke survivors get the appropriate level of support that allows them to make the best possible recovery. Steve has shown that through hard work, determination and some help from the Stroke Association along the way it is possible to re-adjust to life after a stroke and act as an inspiration to many others across the north east.”

Steve, who is now employed by the Stroke Association as a Community Integration Programme Coordinator presented an account of his story to the Parliamentary Reception’s 150 guests, says:

“My stroke came completely out of the blue whilst I was working for Mars four years ago. The Stroke Association provided me with the support I needed to recover and I’m now able to help other stroke survivors return to the roles they had before or at least be more involved with their local communities.”

Every five minutes someone in the UK has a stroke -; but over 40% of those strokes could be prevented by the control of high blood pressure. Many thousands of people are completely unaware of their own blood pressure levels and those with high blood pressure massively increase their risk of having a stroke.

For more information visitwww.stroke.org.uk