The Shanly Foundation has made a £5,000 donation to Dyscover, a Leatherhead-based charity which provides a vital service for people with aphasia – a communication disorder that results from damage or injury to the language parts of the brain, including a stroke.  
Aphasia is a long-term condition which can affect speaking, understanding of the spoken word, reading and writing.  Aphasia does not affect mental capacity, making the condition incredibly frustrating and isolating as it can strike at any time, without warning.
The Shanly Foundation made the donation to support Dyscover’s ‘Moving On’ project which works with aphasia sufferers who are predominantly of pre-retirement age to help them back into work.
Alice Owen, development officer at Dyscover, says: “Almost half of our members are of working age and have emotionally adjusted to life with aphasia and feel ready to re-integrate with their communities and take some control back into their lives. Whether it’s to increase responsibility or independence at home, access the gym, get back into a hobby or taking on some voluntary work.
“Sadly, due to the complexities of aphasia very few people are able to return to their previous work roles. Through our ‘Moving On’ programme that the Shanly Foundation is supporting, we give professional assistance to help build confidence and equip our members with the necessary communication tools for a participatory and fulfilling life.”
Dyscover also runs weekly group sessions differentiated by need, stage of recovery and other related factors, as well as extra activity programmes including access to sport, technology and creative arts.