As chair of a local charity and with a busy family life, Maureen Reynolds, now 70, hardly had a minute to spare; a situation she thrived on. Her stroke, which struck on Valentine’s Day 2003, changed everything. Maureen was faced with the frustration of having the will but not the ability to carry on with her usual activities.

However through swimming, not her regular 100 lengths pre-stroke but the two or three widths she could manage, and gradually increasing the amount she could walk in one go; Maureen was determined that all tasks would be re-conquered.

Five years on from her stroke and despite not being up to the rigours of her previous charity work, Maureen decided to set up her own stroke club. The Ferndown Stroke Club has now swelled to over 30 members, and Maureen, who is well known locally, remains at the heart of its existence. Maureen has done numerous fundraising events for her Stroke Club, including an abseil down a building in Bournemouth City Centre and also plans to do a skydive soon.

In what little spare time she has from fundraising for the stroke club Maureen loves singing; she used to be a member of the Bournemouth and Boscombe Light Opera Company. Maureen loves all TV shows to do with singing and musicals, particularly How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?, I’d Do Anything, Over the Rainbow and Popstar to Opera Star.