Northampton colleague volunteers for Brewin’s Stroke Group at the seaside!

Tom Swann, paralegal in our Shoosmiths Serious Injury medical negligence team spent a day volunteering for a very worthy cause on the 27 July 2018. Tom explains how he spent the day.

‘Those at Brewin’s Stroke Group don’t often get a trip to the seaside. Northampton isn’t very close to the coast, and mobility restrictions can hinder those with disabilities from taking long journeys. However, with money donated by Shoosmiths Serious Injury, Brewin’s were able to hire a coach with disabled access and enjoy a day at Hunstanton. I accompanied them on their trip.

The sun was shining and it was a balmy 27 degrees Celsius, so we arrived at Hunstanton very warm but very excited for the day ahead. Hunstanton, a 19th-century resort town, lies on the northwest coast of Norfolk. It has several stately Victorian squares, but your eye will more likely be caught by the number of bright amusement arcades, cafés and seaside shops. The shops still sell those colourful spinning windmills and sticks of rock.

I was to spend the day as the chauffeur of an elderly, yet spirited, wheelchair-bound gentleman called Paul. As it was lunchtime when we arrived, we made a beeline for the nearest fish and chip shop. After all, what else could you eat for lunch on a trip to the English seaside?

Lunch was followed by a walk down to the beach. Having never pushed anyone in a wheelchair before, I was surprised at how difficult it was to traverse hills. All of the calories from the fish and chips were easily burned off! Down at the beach we had the chance to savour another traditional seaside treat, ice cream. The queue at the ice cream parlour was longer than expected; Hunstanton appears to have avoided the decline that many other seaside towns have suffered.

We wandered along the promenade, eventually coming to a spot on the beach where we had agreed to meet for some Tai Chi and Yoga. Our brief session inspired both smiles and strange looks from the locals. An untraditional yet enjoyable end to our trip.

As we sat on the coach heading home, a contingent of clouds rushed across the sky and unleashed a barrage of rain. This was a welcome respite from the heat, but we were all glad to have made it back onto the bus before getting wet!’

To find out more about the work of Brewin’s Stroke Group see here.