About Us
Welcome to the Bendigo Stroke Support Centre
We are a community-driven organisation dedicated to supporting stroke survivors, their carers, and families in Bendigo and surrounding regions. Our mission is to provide a welcoming and inclusive space where individuals affected by stroke can connect, share experiences, and find the support they need on their recovery journey.
Our mission is to provide a safe and friendly environment where stroke survivors, carers, and families can connect, participate in social activities, and access resources to aid in recovery, while also raising awareness and improving community support.
Our Story
Our journey began when Mike, a stroke survivor, met Steve at a medical appointment. They struck up a conversation, exchanged phone numbers, and soon connected with John, another stroke survivor. The three of them quickly realised the importance of peer support and founded a local stroke support group in Bendigo, initially called 'The Strokers.'
Over the past 25 years, our organisation has grown into what is now the Bendigo Stroke Support Centre. We have helped countless stroke survivors and their families regain confidence and reconnect with their communities. Our volunteers regularly visit hospitals to offer guidance and reassurance to recent stroke survivors, reminding them they are not alone in their recovery.
Survivor Stories
Meet our President, Vikki Cail
Librarian, asthmatic, a non smoker and non drinker
Stroke at age 57
My biggest challenges were learning to talk again (after my stroke I could only say Um), extreme fatigue, and lack of concentration and short attention for detail work and reading.
Most important factors in my recovery were my positive attitude and hard work in hospital, attending speech therapy every workday (Monday to Friday) and doing the homework in the afternoon and on weekends, and attending the rehabilitation programs offers. As I live alone, I wanted to maintain and continue to improve my speech, so I joined at Bendigo Stroke Support Centre, and the Communication Group has been priority, I now coordinate the group.
Vikki says, “Inside, I feel the same but people who know about the stroke, view you as different. No-one can see I have had a stroke until they talk to me, by the time I need to get out words and sentences for my responses. In today’s world where everything is go, go, go - I’m slow, slow, slow.”
(From Communication Connect Platform - Aphasia Project)
Good news story!
By Vikki CailAs the current coordinator of the Communications Group, I was very proud and happy when Trevor told me about the article in the December issue of the Long Gully Neighbourhood Centre about his participation in the final session of the Long Gully Neighbourhood Centre final speaker presentation.
The speaker was Andrew from the Stroke Foundation about his personal experience of stroke and explaining what a stroke was, the range of symptoms and possible lifestyle changes to implement to reduce your chances of having a stroke.
Trevor participated by talking about his own experience of having a stroke and the consequences of living with a loss of sensation and thought processes. Trevor has amazing woodworking skills (he made the LGNC lectern) and reminded us of the importance of being involved in community.
He passed on information of programs run by the Bendigo Stroke Support Centre (for more information click here).
This is an example how much the Communication Group sessions have helped Trevor gain the confidence and ability to participate in front of a crowd and talk about his stroke experience and recovery.
Trevor has been attending the Communication Group consistently and been working on preparing short talks on a different topic twice a month, ever since the formation of the Communications Group.