Please help me to keep our Stroke and Parkinsons groups stay open

In September 2015 a group of us with neurological conditions brought about by Stroke or Parkinson's started attending specialist programmes at the Paces Personal Development Centre. The effects of having a Stroke can be totally life changing. Many of us spent months in hospital following our strokes and upon leaving hospital we have had to adapt to a new life very often relying on family members who have to become our carers.

Equally a diagnosis of Parkinson's can be life changing and the long term effects difficult to come to terms with. And contrary to popular belief Strokes and Parkinson's can affect people of a relatively young age, often leaving us feeling isolated and helpless.

The programmes focus on developing skills that we can use in our everyday life to improve our independence, self-esteem and confidence.

After attending these specialist programmes for 10 weeks, each of us benefitted enormously some examples are:

• I am more confident and more relaxed about having Parkinson's
• I can use a knife and fork, making me more confident in social situations
• I can now walk 100 yards to the neighbours; on my own.
• My husband doesn't have to help me from a lying position
• I have met people with similar conditions, I have someone to talk to in a similar position.
• Family members feel I look healthy and I am moving better.
• I now know that decline is not inevitable
• My life is getting better

We all made so much progress after the 10 week programme that we chose to continue in January 2016, but unfortunately funding is running. I spite of many efforts from us and workers at Paces to find additional funding, we may not be able to carry on beyond April without your support.

To continue our much valued programmes we need to raise £6000 by the end of April. We are at risk of loosing the people who run the group, whom we feel have helped us achieve so much and have given us hope for the future.

None of us want to fall back into a situation where we feel socially isolated and are allowed to regress and loose the skills we've gained. Any help you can give will be greatly received and put to good use.