Meet Our New Volunteer Befrienders Supporting Survivors Aged 16-25
- Mez Khan
At Different Strokes, peer support is at the heart of everything we do. We know that talking to someone who has been through a similar experience can make all the difference after stroke.
That’s why, in 2020, we launched our dedicated Young Adult Befriender Service for stroke survivors aged 16 to 25. While all of our services are built on peer support, we recognised that very young stroke survivors often face unique challenges, from returning to education or work, to navigating friendships, relationships and their future after stroke. Our Befriender Service connects them with volunteers who truly understand what it’s like to have a stroke at a young age.
We’re delighted to welcome Kyra Lindsay and Alicia Kember as the newest members of our volunteer befriender team.
Kyra: "I wanted to become the person I never had"
Kyra had an ischaemic stroke at the age of 22. Since sharing her story with Different Strokes last year and becoming a BASS Ambassador, Kyra has inspired many young stroke survivors by speaking openly about her recovery. You can read Kyra’s story here.
Now she’s hoping to provide the same support to others through befriending.
“When I first had my stroke, I felt so isolated and had no idea how to deal with it,” Kyra says. “It wasn’t until I got involved with Different Strokes and started talking to others that my perspective completely changed. I felt so understood and heard.”
That experience inspired her to volunteer.
“I wanted to become a Befriender and be that person that I never had for someone else in the recovery process.”
Kyra hopes her own experiences, both the difficult days and the positive ones, will help reassure others that they’re not alone.
“Sometimes it’s not about having all the answers,” she says. “It’s about being able to tell someone, ‘I get what you mean,’ and giving them the space to talk without feeling judged.”
Alicia: "I've been there"
Alicia Kember had an ischaemic stroke at the age of 23 and has become a passionate advocate for young stroke survivors, sharing her story through Different Strokes and national media to raise awareness that stroke can happen at any age. You can read Alicia’s story here.
She says speaking to other stroke survivors changed her recovery.
“At the start of my recovery I was nervous about speaking to other stroke survivors because I didn’t know what to expect. But as soon as I reached out, it really felt like I was being seen properly for the first time.”
Hearing someone else say, “I get it,” helped lift the pressure she had been putting on herself to recover quickly.
“A few stroke survivors have already reached out saying my story resonates with them,” Alicia says.
“I wanted to become a Befriender so I could support people more formally and be able to say, ‘I’ve been there.'”
As a volunteer, Alicia hopes to offer reassurance, practical advice and understanding to other young people beginning their recovery journey.
A team built on lived experience
Kyra and Alicia join an experienced team of volunteer befrienders, including Bridie Kirsopp, Daniel Payne, Joshua Andrew and Rahael Kuruvilla, who have been supporting young stroke survivors since the service began in 2020.
Together, the team brings a wealth of lived experience, supporting young survivors through the emotional and practical challenges that can come with life after stroke. Whether someone is struggling with fatigue, anxiety, returning to work or education, relationships, or simply adjusting to a new normal, our volunteers understand because they’ve been there too.
Kyra
Alicia
Daniel
Bridie
Rahael
Josh
Join Us for Befriender Hour
Alongside one-to-one befriending, our Instagram Befriender Hour returns this autumn.
Running since 2020, Befriender Hour offers a relaxed way for young stroke survivors to connect with our volunteers through Instagram Direct Messages. If you have a question, need someone to listen or simply want to chat with another young stroke survivor, our volunteers will be online during the sessions below.
Looking for a Befriender?
If you’re a stroke survivor aged 16 to 25 and would like to be matched with one of our volunteer befrienders, you can apply through our Befriender referral form HERE.
If you’re outside this age group, we’re still here for you. Our Helpline can connect stroke survivors of working age with the right support, including local groups, online services and other opportunities to speak with fellow survivors.
