UK Stroke Club Conference 2015 Report

stroke.org.uk

9-10 October 2015East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham

Thank you for joining us at the UK Stroke Club Conference 2015

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This year’s UK Stroke Club Conference marked a decade of bringing together volunteers who provide vital peer support to people affected by stroke. We welcomed:

Our Reach

DelegatesNo of clubs

and groupsNo. of

representing

85

stroke clubs

and groups

from across

the UK

and Spain

supporting

2550groupmembers andvolunteers

173 group

representatives

This year we were pleased to be joined by 10 Speakability groups who were invited to the event for the first time following the merger of Speakability and the Stroke Association.

The success of the club conference has grown every year since the inaugural event in 2006, were 52 clubs were represented. Since then we have been joined by almost 1300 delegates over the years, all sharing their experiences with like-minded people and picking up tips and ideas to share with their members. If you would like to get in touch with anyone you met at the event please let us know and we will do our best to help you.

‘The event is an opportunity to meet old friends and meet new people in a similar situation and to learn and share from each other and pick up information and fresh ideas to take back to our group’. -Delegate

The Club Conference is also a fantastic opportunity to meet with Stroke Association staff, here is what they have to say about the event:

‘The Stroke Club Conference is the main event for stroke clubs in the year. It’s an opportunity for them to come together and share ideas, problems and enjoy the chance to talk about their groups with like-minded people. It’s a chance to gain new ideas and develop skills to take back to the group to enhance the experience for the people they support and feel fulfilled in their role within the group.

For me as the main contact for the clubs and groups, it’s an opportunity for us to give to vital support to the groups and encourage networking and sharing within the region and the national group. It’s also a great chance to cement relationships with the clubs in a different forum away from the group venue’. - Community Development & Partnership Manager

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So a recap on what happened..

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threeplenary talks by

leading

professionals

twelveworkshops byexperts

clubs and groups

nineexhibitionstands

of products and support

28 inspiringdisplays in the

stroke club exchange

The content of the programme is driven by what feedback and suggestions you share with us. We hope you found this interesting and have been able to share the ideas and information gained with your own clubs and groups.

The 2015 event started with informal networking between group representatives and Stroke Association staff, followed by a celebration evening marking 10 years of the conference.

Claire Vincent, Deputy Head of Partnerships at the Stroke Association opened the talks with an uplifting and informative reflection on how clubs and groups and stroke support had significantly improved since 2005. This included a photo montage of groups over the years. For many this talk was a highlight of the event. Delegates commented that it was

Recognising the vital role that stroke clubs and groups have played in stroke improvement over the past 10 years, delegates were thanked with themed cup-cakes and goodie bags.

Further talks gave updates on funding received from the Cabinet Office to enhance the training and resources provided to clubs and groups and the evaluation project run by Nuffield Trust that recognised the impact of peer support for the first time.

The conference also offered information talks on the emotional impact of stroke, research and stroke groups in the Netherlands as well as practical workshops on topics such as taking action on stroke, how to use social media, and ways to support group members with Aphasia and activities to try.

‘encouraging to find out how things had progressed over the 10 years’.

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback on the event. We were delighted to read all the positive comments and pleased that all the talks and workshops were well received.

Please do visit the website www.stroke.org.uk/take-action/stroke-clubs-and-groups/uk-stroke-club-conference for more details about the talks and workshops.

Delegates left the conference feeling inspired and motivated to continue to run their stroke groups with new ideas, more knowledgeable about stroke and how to support members and how the Stroke Association will continue to support them in the future.

96% of those asked said they would recommend other clubs and groups attending the Club Conference.

Here are some of the comments from the delegate feedback:

‘Very good to hear from someone who experiences aphasia personally’

‘I am a new volunteer and have found the whole conference exciting and motivating’

‘The main thing learnt today was how stroke affected different people in different ways’

‘All workshops I did have been very well presented and helpful’

‘How other groups address the same challenges we have in my group’

‘Learning so much about strokes and the effects on changing lifestyles and what we can do to support those affected by stroke’

’Lovely to meet so many people with great ideas that we can take back to our group’.

Feedback and highlights

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Over the years many changes to the format, organisation and location of the event have happened as a result of your feedback. Generally delegate feedback shows the event is well thought out and delivered. However there are a few points that you have raised that we would like to answer below

Why the event changed from being run over two days to over 24hrs, starting in the eveningThe reason for this was to allow us to continue to use the favoured and accessible venue in Nottingham within budget and yet allow more people to attend. Making better use of the venue layout created more space allowing more people to attend. On the whole the feedback for this change was well received by staff and delegates alike. The new format maintained the great atmosphere and continued to provide updates on stroke, information to support groups and ideas for activities and fundraising.

More time for networking, moving between rooms and for lunchWe have scheduled the timings to fit in as much time for networking and moving around the venue as possible, whilst still being able to offer all the talks and workshops that are requested. It is a tough balance between being able to fulfil all the requests for talks and workshops and still keep the programme at a steady pace, appreciating that many delegates have had long journeys and may suffer fatigue. We will continue to strive for a balance that pleases as many as possible.

More information for carersWhilst this is a valid request, and we will try and ensure the needs of carers is addressed where possible in a club and group setting the primary focus of the Club Conference is to support those running clubs and groups. However, the UK Stroke Assembly events will focus on this more. For more information about the UK Stroke Assembly go to www.strokeassembly.org.uk

Queues at lunchtime and variety in menusWe work closely with the venue to ensure that menus at lunch are varied, easy to eat for those with one hand and appealing to all. We have tried a number of approaches over the years and unfortunately we are not able to please everyone. However we appreciate that perhaps some healthier options could be provided and queues managed better.

Due to high numbers it is not possible to offer everyone a choice of meals at the gala dinner. We try and vary our choices for those who attend each year, and select a menu that would suit the majority. We know we cannot always please everyone and we apologise for this. If you have a specific dietary need we can arrange an alternative meal. On the whole delegates felt the standard of catering and helpfulness of venue

Programme contentThe content of the programme is based on your suggestions made in the feedback. We also listen to requests that you make to your regional team about areas where you need support or guidance on. There are a lot of requests and we do our best to accommodate as many as possible whilst making the programme varied and interesting. We also work with all our speakers to offer them guidance on how to keep their presentations accessible for those with aphasia. If you was not able to see some workshops please do refer to our website for further information.

If you have any suggestions for the programme next year please let us know on 01527 903 917 or email clubconference@stroke.org.uk

ELLIPSIS CHATSome things you have asked us to improve

A really fantastic conference thoroughly enjoyed it and gained a lot of information.

We are looking currently looking at venues for the UK Stroke Club Conference 2016, we will keep you informed once this is decided. The event will be held in late September / early October and invitations will be sent out to the main contact of all clubs and groups in July.

If you have any suggestions for the next Club Conference or have any changes to your contact details please let us know on 01527 903 917 or email clubconference@stroke.org.uk

Planning ahead

We are all here because of one reason ‘Stroke’, so let’s all come together and help each other. So much can be achieved. Thank you Stroke Association.

See you next year..

Stroke Association is a Company Limited by Guarantee, registered in England and Wales (No 61274). Registered office: Stroke Association House, 240 City Road, London EC1V 2PR. Registered as a Charity in England and Wales (No 211015) and in Scotland (SC037789). Also registered in Northern Ireland (XT33805) Isle of Man (No 945) and Jersey (NPO 369).

Any questions about the UK Stroke Club Conference please contact:Anne AbbottEvents OfficerStroke AssociationLife After Stroke Centre Church Lane Bromsgrove, B61 8RA

Telephone: 01527 903 930 Email: clubconference@stroke.org.uk

We are the Stroke Association We believe in life after stroke. That’s why we support stroke survivors to make the best recovery they can. It’s why we campaign for better stroke care. And it’s why we fund research into finding new treatments and ways of preventing stroke.

We’re here for you. If you’d like to know more please get in touch.

Stroke Helpline: 0303 3033 100 Website: stroke.org.uk Email: info@stroke.org.uk From a textphone: 18001 0303 3033 100