Project

Speakeasy offers long-term support and therapeutic activities for people with aphasia. The activities support members to develop the skills necessary to navigate their lives with aphasia and re-engage back into community life.

What does your charity/project do?

Aphasia is a communication difficulty, which can follow a stroke. We provide support to develop skills and confidence towards reconnecting people with their communities. Recent activities have included computer based therapy, peer lead conversation groups, living healthily after stroke, art therapy, gardening for people with disabilities, and translating hospital information into an easy read format for people with aphasia These activities are ongoing. Music therapy will be a future activity.

How does your charity/project support the local community?

Our mission is to reduce the impact of living with aphasia and give people the skills and confidence to be able to participate in community life once again, whether this is attending community groups, shopping in the local community, using public transport or even volunteering. All the activities they had previously participated in but since having aphasia haven’t had the confidence, or support to do so. Our members will work towards becoming engaged in the community once again.

What do you plan to use the CommunityForce award for?

The money would be spent on continuing the services at Speakeasy. So it would go toward the hire of the room used for each session and also towards the Speech and Language therapy we provide. It is vital we are able to continue providing our bespoke activities to people with aphasia and supporting their families and carers. If we aren’t able to then they have nowhere else to further their rehabilitation and we need to ensure the important progress they have made isn’t lost.