THROUGHOUT May, as part of Stroke Awareness month, care organisations such as Holy Cross Hospital in Haslemere have been raising awareness about the services they provide for stroke survivors.

Holy Cross Hospital provides specialist care to 40 inpatients with severe disabilities caused by brain injury.

It also has a team of physiotherapists for outpatients.

They design a programme of exercises and routines aimed at improving muscular strength, mobility, core stability and balance. The exercises can take place in the gym, the hydrotherapy pool at the Shottermill hospital or even at home.

As part of the community for nearly 100 years, the hospital also provides a meeting space for Haslemere Stroke Club. The club meets weekly and provides stroke survivors with group physiotherapy, entertainment, companionship and support.

Holy Cross chief executive Christopher Hinton said: “A stroke can happen to anybody and when it does, it changes a person’s life. We have a team of highly qualified and experienced neuro physiotherapists.

“Each year, they help many people who live within a 10 to 15-mile radius of Haslemere to regain independence after a stroke.”

A stroke happens when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut-off. This can be caused by an injury or a medical condition.

Without a regular blood supply, brain cells can be damaged leading to varying degrees of disability.

Statistics show that every three-and-a-half minutes somebody in the UK will have a stroke.

While many people survive, half of all stroke survivors will be left with a disability.

For more information about the hospital’s specialist services for stroke survivors log on to www.holycross. org.uk or call (01428) 643311.