dyscover – rediscovering communication

Posted 9th June 2013

12 of our fantastic Dyscover volunteers enjoyed a pub lunch on Monday to mark the start of Volunteers’ Week.  Marilyn, Rosemary and Lynne thanked the volunteers, on whom our service depends, for their ongoing commitment, enthusiasm and support to Dyscover.

On Wednesday Dyscover volunteers were represented at an evening reception at the London Living Room in City Hall.  Julie Upson and David Ludlow are seen here with a gloriously sunny backdrop of the Thames and Tower Bridge.

Our Volunteer Coordinator Marilyn described the evening as inspiring and memorable, and was particularly impressed by the motivating key note speeches made by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Martyn Lewis CBE and Gamesmaker Emily Yates. All this was lapped up while sipping wine, eating tasty canapes and imagining living the high life all the time!

Posted 29th May 2013

Many people with aphasia find iPads an easier way to use IT.  One of the key benefits is the ability to personalise an iPad by choosing apps which are relevant and useful to the individual.

In this rapidly changing area of technology it is hard to keep abreast of developments.

The Aphasia Alliance have launched a website which is designed to help. www.aphasiasoftwarefinder.org aims to provide up to date information about apps and software which might be of particular use to people with aphasia.

Posted 29th May 2013

Emergency hospital treatment saves your life after a stroke, but it is long-term, follow-up support that makes life worth living. This is what Dyscover provides and the latest research report from the Stroke Association underlines the value of our work.

The report is entitled Feeling Overwhelmed and highlights the importance of practical, emotional support, as well as considering the needs of carers. It also illustrates how people who have made progress after their stroke, can play a key role in giving hope to those who are starting on their journey of recovery.

Over 2,700 people were interviewed during the research, including several Dyscover members. The full report is available at:

http://www.stroke.org.uk/sites/default/files/files/Feeling%20Overwhelmed_Final_2_5mb.pdf

Posted 14th May 2013

8 members of our Wednesday ‘learning to live with aphasia’ group have stepped up to the challenge of a 4 week singing taster course.  Musician Sue Messenger is leading this younger group through a variety of popular songs from football anthems to Beatles hits.
We hope that this fledgling choir will join with the existing Dyscover singers to perform together later in the year.

Posted 23rd April 2013

Simon Vlok ran the Brighton Marathon in aid of Dyscover. His father Brian is a member of our New Malden group.

Simon raised over £1,000. He suffered a knee injury during training, but still completed the course in 4 hours 17 minutes. Congratulations Simon and many thanks.

Simon says: ‘The atmosphere on the day was amazing, I had lots of supporters cheering me on, which was a massive help, particularly in the last few miles! I’m really delighted I was able to raise some money for Dyscover, which has helped my dad so much over the years. A big thank you to all those who supported me.’