Speakability, a national charity which supports people with aphasia, is merging to become part of the Stroke Association.
Speakability, which last year had an income of just over £139,000, has moved into Stroke Association House, where the larger charity operates from.
Stroke Association had an income last year of £33m. Speakability’s chief executive, Melanie Derbyshire, will join the directorate at Stroke Association, and no redundancies are planned as a result of the merger. The Speakability brand will still exist.
Some of the charity’s employees will move to Stoke Association’s offices. Other employees will continue to work remotely or through local self-help groups.
The Stroke Association said in a statement that the move was part of “ambitious plans to ensure more stroke survivors across the UK living with the communication disability receive vital support”. Around a third of stroke survivors experience aphasia, which affects a person’s ability to communicate.
Jon Barrick, chief executive of the Stroke Association, said: “Stroke is an incredibly cruel condition. It can hit you out of nowhere and rob you of your ability to read, write and speak. By teaming up with Speakability, we can provide more stroke survivors with the advice and support they need to overcome an extremely frustrating and isolating disability. Together, we can conquer stroke.”
Derbyshire said: “For those who have aphasia, every aspect of their day-to-day life and relationships are likely to be negatively affected. When Action for Dysphasic Adults (now Speakability) was formed by Diana Law 35 years ago, there was little or no provision for people living with aphasia. Now much has changed, in no small part due to our campaigning work and our national network of local Self-Help Groups.
“Whilst stroke is not the only cause of aphasia, it is by far the biggest single cause. Our merger with the Stroke Association will enable us to direct finite resource to reaching and offering support to many more of the estimated 400,000 people in the UK living with aphasia as well as their families and carers.”
Stroke Association employs 635 member of staff and had 4,828 volunteers, according to the Charity Commission’s site.
Additional reporting by Hugh Radojev.
