Kari Edwards Wins the Different Strokes Fundraising Hero Award of 2026
- Mez Khan
At Different Strokes, we are proud to announce that Kari Edwards has been named our Fundraising Hero of 2026 after raising an incredible £2,382.86 to support younger stroke survivors.
Kari, from Lancashire, was recognised not only for the amount raised, but for the way she brought together colleagues, friends, family and her wider community to support Different Strokes and raise awareness of life after stroke.
Although Kari is this year’s award winner, she insists the success was very much a shared effort. “I honestly think the award should really have gone to the whole NatWest Parklands team,” she said. “Everybody helped, and once we got going, work colleagues completely took over a lot of the logistics and organisation.”
Kari’s fundraising journey followed a difficult few years after what was later discovered to have been a misdiagnosed stroke in 2022. After struggling with balance problems, fatigue and neurological symptoms, she eventually learned in 2024 that she had an ischaemic stroke affecting the cerebellum two years earlier.
Despite the challenges of recovery, Kari focused on moving forward. A keen runner and member of Preston Harriers running club, she adapted many of the pacing techniques she knew from marathon training into her rehabilitation. “When there wasn’t much support at the beginning, I realised a lot of what we use in training plans could work for recovery too,” she explained. “You do a bit, rest, then build up gradually.”
Kari credits much of her recovery to the people around her, her husband Dave, close friends, family and a private physiotherapist who helped her with tools and techniques to assist with recovery.
She is also full of praise for her manager, Sally, who supported her return to work and encouraged the idea of fundraising through Different Strokes’ annual Mince Pie Monday event. “Sally was brilliant, she really took the time to understand neuro-fatigue and learn about stroke recovery. She watched the Different Strokes webinar on fatigue and she was the one who suggested we do a big fundraising event.”
What started as one festive fundraiser soon became a week-long, huge office-wide effort at NatWest’s Parklands office, with more than 150 people getting involved across different teams.
Colleagues organised bake sales, festive games, competitions and donation stations, decorating the workplace with bunting and balloons while encouraging neighbouring businesses to join in too! Activities included mince pie-eating competitions and festive challenges, helping create a fun atmosphere while raising money for Different Strokes.
Kari also gave short presentations to colleagues, sharing her experience of stroke recovery and explaining the work of Different Strokes. “At first I found it really difficult talking about myself,” she admitted. “But once people started asking questions, you realised how many people have been affected by stroke in some way.”
One of Kari’s biggest pieces of advice for anyone thinking about fundraising is to involve as many people as possible. “Don’t try and do it all yourself,” she said. “Get other people involved and choose something people enjoy. Cake is always a winner. Once people feel included, they really want to help.”
She also praised Different Strokes for making the process easy to manage alongside work and recovery. “Jo at Different Strokes was so helpful throughout our fundraising journey. She sent me a fundraising pack full of practical ideas, games, bunting and balloons, which helped bring everything together.”
Kari also shared an important tip for other fundraisers: “It really helps to be clear about what the money will go towards. For example, £18 can fund a children’s pack, while £300 could help seed-fund a new local volunteer group, giving people a clearer sense of the real-life impact of their donations.”
Kari’s fundraising also took on a life of its own outside the office, with one particularly memorable moment at a local park run. After declaring in a running club WhatsApp group that she would let someone throw a cream pie in her face if donations reached £500, things escalated quickly and very publicly. Her sister, Anita, who had flown over from Tenerife, unexpectedly ended up taking part in the pieing too, much to everyone’s amusement. What started as a light-hearted challenge quickly turned into a crowd-pleasing moment of chaos and laughter, with colleagues, friends and park runners all cheering them on. Far from deterring donations, the stunt only added momentum to the campaign, with people even more motivated to get involved and the fundraising total continued to climb well beyond expectations.
“You don’t do it for an award,” Kari said. “You do it because you want to say thank you.”
As well as raising vital funds, Kari’s openness sparked important conversations about hidden disabilities, stroke recovery and the challenges many younger survivors face.
Jo Caesar, Fundraising Manager at Different Strokes, said:
“Kari has been an absolute inspiration. What stood out so much was not just the incredible fundraising total, but the way she brought people together and used her experience to support and educate others. Her positivity, honesty and determination have made a real difference, and we’re so grateful for everything she and her supporters have done for Different Strokes.”
Reflecting on everything she has been through, Kari hopes her story offers encouragement to others reclaiming their lives after a stroke. She said. “Even when you’re having a rubbish day, remember it won’t always feel like that and keep going.”
Everyone at Different Strokes would like to congratulate Kari and thank everyone who supported her fundraiser and helped make it such a success.
