Siemens plc and The Stroke Association’s third annual Stroke for Stroke week is now underway as members of the public take up the challenge to row 10km (or more) between 25th and 31st January, helping to raise vital funds. The campaign seeks to raise awareness of stroke and to highlight the benefits of a healthy diet and regular exercise in its prevention.
The campaign, a joint initiative by The Stroke Association and Siemens, the High Performance Partner of the GB Rowing Team, is now in its third year and has raised over £70,000 to date by encouraging members of the public to complete a sponsored 10km row. In addition to raising funds, the campaign aims to highlight that anybody, irrespective of age, can suffer from a stroke and that a healthy lifestyle, including a healthy diet and regular exercise such as rowing, can help to significantly reduce the risks.
Not having access to a rowing machine is no excuse, as the Stroke for Stroke campaign has teamed up with Nuffield Health to offer a free five day pass to their nationwide network of Fitness & Wellbeing Centres for everyone taking part in Stroke for Stroke. The campaign is open to everyone across the UK by visiting www.strokeforstroke.co.uk or calling 020 7566 1503 and people keen to take part can sign up throughout the week.
Even those who can’t take part directly can still do their bit by visiting www.strokeforstroke.co.uk and sponsoring their colleagues, friends and family.
Olympic gold medalist, Zac Purchase, is backing the campaign, “Regular exercise is a key factor in staying healthy and reducing the risk of stroke, and rowing is an ideal, all-round, low-impact workout. It’s great to be involved in the Stroke for Stroke campaign and we hope to help raise plenty of money and awareness.”
Andreas J. Goss, chief executive, Siemens in the UK, said: “Stroke is the UK’s third biggest killer and contrary to popular belief it can affect people of any age. Siemens is delighted to be able to use our partnership with GB Rowing to help build awareness, raise much-needed funds for The Stroke Association and to encourage people to take up regular exercise as part of an overall healthy lifestyle. I’ll be doing my bit, and encouraging our employees to do the same so please visit the website and have some fun taking part in Stroke for Stroke 2010.”
Head of Corporate Fundraising at The Stroke Association, James Beeby said: “Each year an estimated 150,000 people in the UK will suffer a stroke. Stroke for Stroke is now in its third year and a campaign like this is integral to raising awareness of how regular exercise and lifestyle choices can help prevent a stroke. This year we are anticipating an even greater number of people to get involved and support The Stroke Association’s vital research into stroke prevention and treatment.”
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Notes to editors:
Siemens Stroke for Stroke Week is supported by The Stroke Association. Full details and a link to the justgiving website can be found at www.strokeforstroke.co.uk
For more information, contact:
Faith Dawes or Duncan Ross
Threepipe
Tel: +44 (0) 207 632 4800
Email: faith.dawes@threepipe.co.uk / duncan.ross@threepipe.co.uk
Anne Keogh or Kerry Milton
Siemens plc
Tel: +44 (0) 1276 696312/338
Mobile: +44 (0)7808 823545
Email: anne.keogh@siemens.com / kerry.milton@siemens.com
Andrea Lane
The Stroke Association
Tel: +44 (0) 207 566 1500
Mobile: 07799 436008
Email: press@stroke.org.uk
About Siemens in the UK
Siemens was established in the United Kingdom 167 years ago and now employs 16,915 people in the UK. Last year’s revenues were £4.2 billion. As a leading global engineering and technology services company, Siemens provides innovative solutions to help tackle the world’s major challenges, across the key sectors of energy, industry and healthcare. Siemens has offices and factories throughout the UK, with its headquarters in Frimley, Surrey. The company’s global headquarters is in Munich, Germany. For more information, visit www.siemens.co.uk
About The Stroke Association
The Stroke Association is the only UK charity solely concerned with combating stroke in people of all ages. The charity funds research into prevention, treatment, better methods of rehabilitation and helps stroke patients and their families directly through its community services which include communications support, family and carer support, information services, welfare grants, publications and leaflets. The Stroke Association also campaigns, educates and informs to increase knowledge of stroke at all levels of society acting as a voice for everyone affected by stroke. The Stroke Association Helpline provides information on stroke to the general public and is open between 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday on 0845 3033 100 and more information on The Stroke Association can be found at www.stroke.org.uk
About Nuffield Health
Nuffield Health is the UK’s largest healthcare charity, providing health and wellbeing services through its national network of over 200 hospitals, wellbeing centres, workplaces and local authority facilities. Nuffield Health also has the largest network of physiotherapists outside the NHS. Since 1957, Nuffield Health has helped millions by putting the quality of care and satisfaction of individuals at the heart of what it does. Since 2008, it has been pioneering a new approach to consumer health by integrating fitness, prevention and cure across its different services and facilities under a single brand, governance and management structure.