dyscover – rediscovering communication

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.’

Posted 6th March 2013

Graduate Engineers from Atkins, the UK’s largest design & engineering company, with offices in nearby Epsom, came to speak to two Dyscover groups this week .

The graduates, who are keen to develop their presentation skills with a different audience, learned about aphasia whilst Dyscover members,which include several who worked in the construction industry before their strokes, enjoyed an interesting talk .

Atkins’ most exciting recent UK project was probably the Olympic Park, which Dyscover had visited during construction and again to view the Paralympic Games .

Posted on 3rd February 2013

Some 80 people braved cold weather and slippery pavements [on 24 January] to say thank you to Gill Jackson for the difference she has made to so many lives.

Gill set up Dyscover in 1994 and since then it has helped hundreds of people in Surrey to develop their own communication strategies to combat aphasia. Gill was awarded an MBE in 2008 in recognition  of her achievements.

Dyscover’s own choir sang,  specially composed poems were recited and Gill received many gifts that had been made by members of Dyscover groups.

Our photo illustrates the gifts that included a portrait of Gill in acrylic, a tapestry cushion and pots planted by members who have been encouraged to get back to gardening.

Dyscover will continue to provide a vital service for people with aphasia in Surrey and surrounding areas, under the leadership of Lynne Bainbridge.

Posted on 19th December 2012

David Newnham assists in the Top Draw at Dyscover’s Christmas lunch. Shares are sold at £10 each and there are 5 draws a year.

50% of contributions are retained by Dyscover with the other 50% being returned to members as cash prizes of up to £200.

To join the Top Draw Club click here