Crawley Town Foundation’s Extra Time Hub helps Jane overcome stroke
After Jane suffered a stroke a few years ago, the impact went far deeper than the physical symptoms – it meant a loss of independence and friendships.
The impact on the family was immeasurable as they had to move home, her husband Bill had to give up work and Jane could no longer drive.
However, a chance meeting with staff from Crawley Town’s Foundation and an introduction to their Extra Time Hub signalled a major change for Bill and Jane.
Extra Time Hubs are run at 19 EFL Clubs and enable retired and semi-retired people to make the most of their free time and enjoy doing the things they want to do. With friendships, support and being socially active at the forefront of the Hubs aims, participants decide what they wish to do, with various activities often chosen including anything from quizzes to walking football.
Go to any Extra Time Hubs session at Crawley Town’s Broadfield stadium and you will see Jane and Bill at the heart of the chatter in the Suite.
They go along every Friday to join the group that has become a mainstay in their social calendar and has replaced some of what the stroke took away.
Bill talks about the impact on the family’s lives after the day they found out Jane had had a stroke:
“Everything in our life changed. Jane said she was having severe headaches and my daughter took her to the hospital for a check-up. I jokingly said, she has had a stroke – having a laugh – and then my daughter rang me up and said mum has had a stroke. Our lives have revolved around that ever since.”
Bill had to leave his work and the family had to move home – but a shopping trip changed everything.
“I had to pack up work as Jane can’t be on her own all the time anymore and we had to move as well, because Jane could no longer walk up the stairs.”
“One day we had just gone down to the shops to get some rolls and a paper, and we met Charlotte and Darren from Crawley Town Foundation. We chatted to them, and they said to come round to the Hub. So, we went there and have not looked back since. Jane lives for coming to the Hub on Fridays.”
Jane says that the introduction to the Foundation has been a positive change in their lives; that their social circle has grown since, and they meet with Hub’s members outside of the Friday sessions.”
When asked what Extra Time Hubs meant to her, Jane simply said ‘friendship’.
Darren Ford, Head of Crawley Town Foundation, comments:
“Activities for older people tend to default to bingo and tea dances. At the Extra Time Hubs we want to create a social community of people who meet regularly to socialise and to do the things they enjoy or want to try, not what society expects them to do because they’ve reached a certain age.
“As we have seen with Bill and Jane, the Hub helps people to feel better by reducing their social isolation and loneliness and in doing so we also nudge them towards being more physically active too.”
