11/04/12…..Rotary puts the pressure on with the Stroke Association
THE Rotary clubs of Thame and Haddenham & District will be hosting a ‘Know Your Blood Pressure’ event at the Co-operative Supermarket, High Street in Thame, on Saturday, April 28, to help raise awareness of the link between high blood pressure and stroke across the UK.
The event will be taking place between 10am and 2pm, offering the public a free blood pressure monitoring service with information and advice on stroke-related health issues. At the same time the two clubs will carry out a street collection in the Thame town centre to raise funds on behalf of the Stroke Association.
The two Rotary Clubs are joining scores of clubs across the UK as part of the ‘Know Your Blood Pressure Campaign’ in partnership with The Stroke Association and the Ambulance Service.
It is estimated that around 16 million people in the UK have high blood pressure and around a third are unaware of this. At least 40% of strokes could be prevented each year if people checked their blood pressure and took steps to control it. In 2011, more than 30,000 people had their blood pressure taken at a Know Your Blood Pressure event and more than 4,000 people were diagnosed with high blood pressure.
Rachel Seyler from the Stroke Association says: ?Thousands of strokes could be prevented every year if more people took steps to monitor their blood pressure. You can keep your blood pressure under control by making a few healthy lifestyle changes. For example, eating a balanced diet in saturated fat, exercising regularly and cutting your salt intake will go a long way. Knowing your blood pressure is the vital first step and I strongly urge everyone to go and get theirs checked.?
Rotarian Tyrell Gillman, Coordinator of the local event added: ?Over the years this event may have prevented thousands of people from having a stroke. It may be quite worrying to discover you could be at risk of a stroke, but once it is highlighted it is possible to make changes which will reduce that risk. The team will welcome any query, even if it is just for a chat, and help you find out how strokes can be prevented through simple lifestyle choices. Regular exercise, healthy eating and giving up smoking can all help to regulate blood pressure.
He added: ?Members of our Rotary Clubs will also be in the Thame town centre collecting any spare cash on behalf of the Stroke Association and we encourage the public to support our fundraiser.?
To find out more about the campaign, please visit the Thame and Haddenham & District Rotary Clubs websites: www.thame.rotaryweb.org and www.haddenham-rotary.org.uk or call the Stroke Association on 0303 30 33 100.
