2020 was a challenging year, a year that required so many of us to adapt overnight to a life that we didn’t plan for – a concept familiar to our stroke community. The pandemic hit vulnerable people the hardest, with many stroke survivors shielding for months on end. In 2020 those whose lives were newly impacted by stroke were discharged with less support and unable to access the wider support networks that are so needed in stroke recovery.

As an organisation how we worked changed rapidly too. To ensure our future stability a number of our staff were furloughed or part-furloughed for long periods of time, with all other staff working from home. Whilst the landscape was challenging and resources tight, our determination and the need to support our community got stronger. In order to meet these needs we developed a range of virtual services and resources.

We are pleased to share with you our social impact report for 2020/21. This report highlights our response to the pandemic, how our community rates the support that we provide and how we hope to continue our efforts to make younger stroke a priority.