Different Strokes Bursary Fund
We’re thrilled to introduce the launch of the Different Strokes bursary scheme. In 2023, we received extraordinary news that two generous benefactors would be making two of the biggest personal donations to Different Strokes in our history. This is huge news for our small charity. A portion of these funds will be vital to keeping our support services running in 2024, but we felt it was important to pay this kindness forward directly to those within the stroke community.
In our 2023 survey, stroke survivors told us what would make the most difference to their recovery. A significant 43% wanted further physical rehabilitation, particularly through physiotherapy. In response to this feedback, we are proud to announce the availability of a £54,000 bursary, dedicated solely to assist stroke survivors in part-funding their physical rehabilitation.
Funds will be available to support stroke survivors to access private physiotherapy and rehabilitation. To deliver this work we will be working in partnership with a number of rehabilitation centres across the UK, to provide a crucial service to benefit people who are no longer receiving NHS care or are unable to pay for private physiotherapy or rehabilitation services themselves.
We hope to support at least 80 stroke survivors with this funding. Each successful applicant will receive rehabilitation to the value of £1,000 with one of the rehabilitation centres that we are partnering with. Please note that applicants will need be required to contribute to a portion of the costs themselves, the amount will vary depending upon their financial situation:
- Different Strokes will provide a bursary of between £400-£800
- The applicant will directly fund between £200-£600
For instance, if you were awarded a bursary of £600, you would need to pay £400 to access £1,000 worth of rehabilitation.
We recognise that many more stroke survivors need support with post-stroke rehabilitation than we are able to support through this scheme, and because of this we have had to set some eligibility criteria. We genuinely wish we could assist everyone in need, but with the amount of funds we have available this is simply not possible. We understand that this will be disappointing for those who do not meet the eligibility criteria, but our team has had to carefully consider various factors to determine the best approach for allocating this bursary.
✅ Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible to apply for this funding, applicants must:
✅ Be between the ages of 18-65
✅ Have had a stroke more than three months before the date of application
✅ Have had a stroke less than three years before the date of application
✅ Not currently receive any other private or NHS physiotherapy or rehabilitation
✅ Able to travel to a rehabilitation centre we're partnering with, or be in an area where the centre undertakes home visits
✅ Be able to transfer in and out of a vehicle with minimal assistance from a carer
✅ Have some level of mobility, but not able to walk long distances independently without a walking aid
✅ Be able to partly contribute to the cost of rehabilitation
Next Steps:
Before proceeding with your application, please ensure that you:
To be eligible to apply for this funding, applicants must:
| ✅ Be between the ages of 18-65 |
| ✅ Have had a stroke more than three months before the date of application |
| ✅ Have had a stroke less than three years before the date of application |
| ✅ Not currently receive any other private or NHS physiotherapy or rehabilitation |
| ✅ Able to travel to a rehabilitation centre we are partnering with, or be in an area where the centre undertakes home visits |
| ✅ Be able to transfer in and out of a vehicle with minimal assistance from a carer |
| ✅ Have some level of mobility, but not able to walk long distances independently without a walking aid |
| ✅ Be able to partly contribute to the cost of rehabilitation |
| I have very good mobility and can walk reasonable distances unaided. Would this bursary be appropriate for me? | If you can walk reasonable distances it is unlikely that you would be eligible. We have a finite amount of funds and will prioritise individuals that need more support with their mobility. |
| Will I need to go to the clinic for treatment? | It varies depending on the clinic. You can check our list of clinics to see which ones offer in-clinic sessions only and which might offer home visits. However, you need to be able to travel if necessary, and if you’re coming by car, you should be able to exit the vehicle with just the assistance of a handling belt.If you live in an area where the clinics are able to provide home visits, and, for example, although you are able to leave your home generally you cannot travel because you live in a rural location and do not have your own transport, then you would be suitable to apply. |
| How do I know what treatment is right for me? | You will have an initial consultation with your chosen clinic/centre and they will work with you to decide the treatment plan for you. We do not want to be prescriptive about what treatments are available, and recognise that these need to be tailored to an individual’s specific needs. |
| What will £1,000 worth of treatment look like in reality? | As we aim to accommodate your individual treatment needs with the clinic nearest to you, we can’t offer a standard answer. It varies greatly based on your requirements and the clinic you choose. On average, however, you might expect around 10 one-on-one physiotherapy sessions tailored to your needs. Our hope is that during this time, you’ll gain enough knowledge and empowerment to continue with self-care techniques after the sessions finish. |
| The bursary is focused on supporting people with their physical rehabilitation. What about stroke survivors that are largely physically unimpaired but have cognitive challenges which they require support with? | Because we can only support a certain amount of people with this bursary we have had to make some difficult decisions at the outset regarding how best to use this fund and eligibility. In our 2023 survey, stroke survivors in our community told us what would make the most difference to their recovery. The most significant response was that people wanted further physical rehabilitation. |
| Why have you chosen the minimum and maximum amount of time after a stroke as 3 months and 3 years to be eligible for the bursary? | As an organisation, we know and champion that stroke recovery continues well after the initial window of time. We witness stroke survivors making great strides in recovery many years post-stroke. However, after consulting with healthcare professionals, we’ve determined that this timeframe represents the optimal period for treatments to have the greatest impact on stroke survivors. Therefore, we believe allocating funds during this time will yield the best results. |
| You don’t have a location near me, can I still apply? | We’ve reached out to numerous clinics across the UK and have formed partnerships with many of them. However, we haven’t been able to cover every area of the UK. If you’re willing and able to travel to a clinic that’s some distance away, even if it means staying in a hotel overnight, you can still apply. However, you’ll need to cover all travel and additional expenses yourself.We hope to secure more funding in the future to offer additional bursaries, and we’re open to forming partnerships with centres in other areas if the opportunity arises. The best way to stay updated is by joining our mailing list HERE. |
| Can I change the clinic/centre I’ve started treatment with? | Unfortunately you can’t change clinics/centres once you have started treatment. |
| I can’t afford to pay anything towards the cost of the treatment, can you pay for it all? | We will not be paying for anyone’s treatment in full, as this will enable us to support more stroke survivors. The contribution will be a minimum of £200 and will depend on your personal financial circumstances. The contribution also means that the person accepting the bursary has added commitment through financially contributing themselves. |
| How would the financial arrangements work and when would I be required to pay my contribution? | Payment methods may vary slightly among clinics, once a bursary is approved, we’ll establish a dual payment system. You’ll be asked to pay your contribution to the session fees in advance. The clinic will then invoice Different Strokes for the portion that we’re covering. |
| Can I continue to have treatment when the bursary fund has been used? | Yes you can discuss continued treatments with your clinic/centre but you will need to pay for these yourself. |
| How do I apply? | To apply for funding, please complete the online application form which can be accessed at the bottom of this page. Applications can be submitted at any time up until 31st May 2024. Please note if we are over-subscribed to an unmanageable extent we reserve the right to close applications before the deadline. |
| I am not able to fill out the form myself – can you help? | If you have looked at the form and feel it’s not accessible for you, we encourage you to first ask a trusted family member, friend, or carer to assist you. If you don’t have anyone suitable, please contact us directly, and we’ll aim to support you with your application.You can call us on 0345 130 7172 to discuss or email us at info@differentstrokes.co.uk. |
| I have submitted my application – when will I hear back? | We will endeavour to respond to everyone whether you are successful or not by the end of June 2024. We are expecting a large number of applications so we regrettably won’t be able to provide individual feedback. Depending on available funds we may announce further funding rounds in the future. |
| Please also note that meeting the eligibility criteria is no guarantee of funding. We expect to receive many more eligible applications than we will have funds to support. | |
We would recommend that you look at the website of a relevant provider, to familiarise yourself with their services and to check their catchment area, before submitting an application. Details of the clinics below.
| Name | Area Served | Appointment Location | Website |
| PhysioFunction | East Midlands | In clinic in Spratton, Northamptonshire | physiofunction.co.uk |
| Neuro Physio Scotland | Central belt of Scotland | Clinics in Glasgow or Edinburgh, home visits possible | neurophysioscotland.co.uk |
| MOTIONrehab | All of Yorkshire | Clinics in Leeds, York, Doncaster or Hull; home visits possible | motionrehab.co.uk |
| TherapyMatters | Cheshire, Merseyside, Wirral, parts of Shropshire, North Wales | Clinic in Chester; home visits possible | therapy-matters.co.uk |
| Hobbs Rehabilitation | Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, West Sussex, Surrey, South Berkshire and the Bristol area | Clinics in Winchester, Liss, Salisbury, Bournemouth, Lambourn, Lymington and Bristol; home visits possible | hobbsrehabilitation.co.uk |
| Birkdale Paediatric and Adult Neuro Clinic | West London | In clinic in Isleworth, West London | neuro-physio.co.uk |
| Neuro Rehab Practice | South London | In clinic in Richmond-upon-Thames, South London; home visits possible | neurorehabpractice.co.uk |
| Morrello | South Wales, Bristol, Bath, Gloucs, Forest of Dean, Hereford | In clinic in Newport, Wales; community visits in catchment area, enriched therapy environment setup at home with online follow-up | morrello.co.uk |
| Cambridge Neuro Physiotherapy | Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Norfolk | Home visits across Cambridgeshire, parts of Suffolk and Norfolk | cambsneurophysio.com |
| Benfleet Physiotherapy | Essex | Clinic in Benfleet; home visits possible | benfleetphysiotherapy.co.uk |
| Neuro Physio Kent | North Kent & South-East London | In clinic in Bexley, South-East London | neurophysiokent.com |
| VIM Healthcare | Sussex | In clinic in Hassocks, near Gatwick; home visits possible | vimhealthcare.co.uk |
| Plymouth Neurophysio | Devon and East Cornwall | Clinic in Plymouth; home visits possible | plymouthneurophysio.com |
