Rotary seek to help the community in many ways, and one of these happens each year when, as part of Stroke Awareness Day, the Rotary Club of Twickenham Upon Thames partnered with Squires Garden Centre in Twickenham to offer to local residents the opportunity to have their blood pressure measured.

Rotarian Grace Gibbs and Jackie Tout, both Independent Healthcare Consultants, and Paul Bartlett G.P. (retired) who provided free individual attention with state of the art blood pressure equipment to support them.

Over a period of 5 hours, on the 23rd April, 60 people took advantage of the offer, with three being referred to their G.P. for further checks. It was particularly pleasing for consultants to see one lady who had her blood pressure last year returning this year to be checked again – and to find it was now lower.

One of those who visited the Rotary stand was Dr Tania Mathias, the M.P. for Twickenham, who gave up her time, at what is an extremely busy run up to the June election, to provide the Club and the Stroke Association with her support, for which all the Club members were very grateful.

Colin Squire, Chairman of Squires Garden Centres, kindly allowed the Club to take some of his floor space, and Julie Leatherdale (Centre Manager) and her staff made this event possible by rearranging all their products and displays – for which the Club gives our grateful thanks for all their time and labour.

If everyone’s efforts on Sunday have helped to save someone and also their family by alerting them of a potential  problem this this alone makes this annual event worthwhile.

The Stroke Awareness Day, of which this event was part, is to further awareness of the danger of Strokes and to help make people aware of the Stroke Association whose vision is a World where there are fewer strokes and all those touched by stoke get the help they need. They can be contacted on their stroke helpline 0303 303 3100 (email info@stroke.org.uk. Their website is https://www.stroke.org.uk

The Rotary Club of Twickenham Upon Thames meet each Tuesday evening at the Strawberry Hill Golf Club. If your readers are interested in what we do and would like to be a part of this band of brothers (and sisters) then our website is www.tutrotary.org or a telephone call away with Rotarian Dion Scherer on 020 8240 3427.

Article supplied by David Gregory