Paul Jackson with Alice Owen and Rosemary Townsend
Just 2 weeks before Christmas, I travelled to the office of Dyscover in Surrey to present them with a cheque for £2,000. This sum will be used towards a support service for couples where one partner is living with Primary Progressive Aphasia.
At Dyscover, I met the founder, Gill Jackson, Development Officer, Alice Owen and Chief Executive, Rosemary Townsend.
What is Aphasia?
Aphasia is a communication disability that is caused by damage to the language processing centres of the brain, most commonly through stroke. It can affect the ability to speak, read, write and understand what’s being said and is a very frustrating and isolating condition. Aphasia can be mild or severe, depending on the type and extent of damage to the brain. There are thought to be over 350,000 people in the UK living with aphasia.
Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) is the gradual loss of language ability and can be the first symptom of a rare type of dementia.
About Dyscover
Dyscover is a charity providing long-term support and opportunities to people with aphasia and their families. Daily sessions are led by professional speech and language therapists and are designed to help people adjust to living with the condition.
They help sufferers develop strategies for communicating and show them how to maximise their abilities. They also provide help and support for partners, carers and other family members.
Dyscover was founded in 1994 by Gill Jackson MBE, a speech and language therapist with many years of NHS experience. Through her work, she became aware of the needs of people with aphasia and their families. This led to her vision of providing a community organisation offering long-term support through a range of activities. Since then, Dyscover has grown and developed.
Now approximately 90 people attend Dyscover groups and courses each week in Surrey and South London. It operates vital services for people with aphasia and is unique because all of their sessions, programmes and courses are led or overseen by a professional speech and language therapist.
Want to know more about Dyscover ?
To find out more about Dyscover, please visit their website on dyscover.org.uk
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