PRESTONPANS & DISTRICT SPEECH/STROKE GROUP - Jean Thomson

In 1981. "The Year of the Disabled", the people of Prestonpans, under the auspices of the Combined Churches Group, raised the magnificent sum of £2.300. to help start the Stroke Group. The aim of the group was to bring together people who had suffered loss or impairment of speech and Ianguage in some way and help them improve their communication skills in a friendly group setting. This money bought communication aids. both high and low tech. Other groups such as Tranent Inner Wheel donated a computer and software, and a small group of two people has risen to a regular membership of twelve with invaluable volunteer help.
The Group meets weekly in Prestonpans Health Centre with the added support of Centre staff. A regular programme of quizzes, writing, drawing and reading practice takes place, the emphasis being to encourage any kind of communication. People are also supported at home with communication aids bought from the endowment fund which was set up with some of the original money, so that the care is continuing, thanks to the foresight of the 1981 committee.