In February 2023, our UTILISE researcher, Fern, ran the Brighton Half Marathon to raise money for aphasia charity Say Aphasia.
Say Aphasia is a fantastic charity run by people with aphasia, for people with aphasia. Founded by our steering committee member, Colin Lyall, following his stroke in 2013, the charity now has 15 drop-in groups (including a Zoom group) up and running across the UK, from Brighton to Abergavenny to Darlington. These groups offer a place for people with aphasia, whether caused by stroke or other brain injury, to meet people who can relate to their experiences and provide support in the form of community. The first-hand experience of those that run the charity means that there is a unique insight into what people living with aphasia want and need in the months and years that follow the onset of their speech and language difficulties.
So, on a bright and breezy February morning, Fern, her cousin Emily, her friend Lyle, founder of Say Aphasia, Colin Lyall, and several other fundraisers, set off on the 13.1-mile run. Fern and her team managed to raise over £1500 for the charity. The fundraising links are open indefinitely, so see this page if you are interested in making a donation in support of the cause.
