Meet Stephen

Exmouth Stroke Survivors Club To introduce some physical activity to the group Steve sourced a table tennis table from Table Tennis England’s Ping in the Community scheme in summer 2024. Table tennis is available on a free play basis, with many members taking the opportunity to pick up a bat and have a game. Steve is looking at options to create a social league with other disability and health condition groups in the local area, as well as exploring ways to connect with the wider Exmouth community. Themes: health conditions, physical wellbeing As a result of introducing table tennis as an activity more members are seeing the benefits table tennis provides, including improvements to physical and mental wellbeing, management of symptoms, socialising with others and table tennis acting as a vehicle to allow people to open up to others in conversation. Bradwell Road, Loughton Lodge, Milton Keynes, MK8 9LA T 01908 208860 E email us here tabletennisengland.co.uk After moving to Exmouth Steve took over the running of Exmouth Stroke Survivors Club in 2021, due to the existing lead no longer being able to do so for medical reasons. The club supports people effected from strokes, including providing support groups, rehabilitation services and educational workshops. As a stroke survivor himself, Steve wanted to support others and give back to his community. After a slow rebuilding post COVID, the club meets Mondays and Wednesdays from 10am – 3pm with over 75 members.

As a result of introducing table tennis as an activity more members are seeing the benefits table tennis provides, including improvements to physical and mental wellbeing, management of symptoms, socialising with others and table tennis acting as a vehicle to allow people to open up to others in conversation

Three years ago Stephen moved from Plymouth to Exmouth and saw a call out in the local paper for someone to run the local stroke survivors' club. He applied and got the role.

Stephen is a Christian and says he tries to support others from all different backgrounds "because I've been there himself". I don't ask what he means by that, but he does later say he's had several strokes and TIAs.

Initially, the group met in Exmouth Pavillion; then they used a council building. More recently, they've been using All Saints' Church in Exmouth. The church hall is open two days a week until 3pm as a Warm Welcome Space. (Stephen calls it a Warm Hub.)

"We felt sometimes people wanted it for longer so now people can come back from 6pm or 7pm. We have some entertainment. We've had Elvis nights and all sorts," says Stephen.

"We get food donated from Tesco and Marks & Spencer each week which we use for meals," says Stephen. Other food donations go to people in the community who can use it.

On a Monday and a Wednesday, the Stroke Survivors' Club gives a dinner, "at dinnertime". The Club also delivers food parcels to people who can't come to the meetings for whatever reason, charging a nominal £3 for delivery (waived for those who really can't pay).

Sometimes, club members check on others and offer advice, for instance on energy saving and payments. "People say thank you, if it wasn't for you I wouldn't know what to do," says Stephen, unassumingly.

Funding has been an issue, but the Survivors' Club charges a yearly subscription and they have held several fundraising events including a quiz and a gardening activity for which they were donated plants and soil. Sport England even gave them a table tennis table.

And that's not it: the Club teaches cookery skills to people on low incomes or those who've had strokes, showing them how to use vegetables and what they might have in the kitchen cupboard.

"I want to make sure people feel looked after," says Stephen.

The Club has grown from five or six people three years ago, to 75 club members today. It really is the most fantastic example of a space serving its community – not just stroke survivors, but anyone who wants a warm and welcoming space, some food and drink, plus friendship, entertainment and sound life advice. Thank you, Stephen.

There's more on the Exmouth Stroke Survivors' website here: Exmouth Stroke Survivors Club
we might have 75 members but most of them are unable to come .how ever the members do get visits and shopping done

steve says we usely get 20 people turn up on a wednesday and mondays are less but the club group as a family feel about it we dont judge yes everyone is diffent but we are on the same journey to recovery ..