Burgess Hill care home and Stroke Association join forces to back survivors

Keymer Hall by Boutique Care Homes, situated in Burgess Hill, West Sussex, hosted the Stroke Association's annual Stroke supporters forum on Monday 19 October 2026, welcoming volunteers and supporters from across Surrey and Sussex.

The forum grew out of a community partnership between the home and the charity. It also sits alongside something Keymer Hall already does: every month, the home hosts its own Stroke Friendship Group. Opening the doors to the Stroke Association's wider supporter community was a natural next step.

Over 30 people gathered in one of the home's lounges, most of them Stroke Association supporters and volunteers. Lynn Vincent, Engagement Lead, South East, at the Stroke Association, said: "A big thank you to all at Keymer Hall for providing a venue and catering for our annual Stroke supporters forum." She added that "The event brought together volunteers and people that support the work we do from across Surrey and Sussex."

The programme focused on engagement, activities, rehabilitation and emotional wellbeing after stroke, and followed the Stroke Association's strategic priorities. The charity's engagement team spoke about its Stroke Voices group and the importance of sharing the voices of lived experience. They covered how the charity works with trusts and hospitals, and the Childhood Stroke Project. They also shared news of new eight-week engagement sessions now running in the Sussex area, which give more people affected by stroke a chance to connect and access support. Another session looked at REMAP, which adapts and custom makes equipment that helps transform the lives of disabled people.

By the end of the day, Lynn said, "What a wonderful interactive day we had and everyone left feeling empowered to continue the work supporting our Stroke Survivors across the counties."

The Stroke Association's own figures show the scale of its work with care homes in Sussex. Its Sussex Care Home project highlight report, covering 1 January to 31 December 2025, lists Keymer Hall among the care homes that received the charity's stroke training. The report records 57 training sessions delivered, 753 care home staff trained and 11 stroke friendship cafes launched.

For the team at Keymer Hall, hosting is part of what the home is for. Christine Bunce, Home Manager, said: "A care home shouldn't be somewhere the community walks past. Our Stroke Friendship Group meets here every month because we want anyone touched by stroke to know there is a place where they will be understood. Hosting the Stroke Association is that same idea on a bigger scale, and it's the team's everyday work that earns us the right to do it. For us it has never been just care. It's life, thriving, for our residents and for the people around us."

Lisa Rose, Admissions Manager, worked with the Stroke Association to bring the forum to the home. She said: "Families deciding whether they can trust a care home make up their minds quickly, and a lot of it comes down to how the door is opened and who is there to greet them. We want everyone who steps into Keymer Hall to feel at ease, whether they come for a forum, for the Stroke Friendship Group or for a first look round. That feeling is where trust begins."

Keymer Hall opened on 8 December 2025. Less than a year later, the home, which specialises in dementia care, is hosting the Stroke Association's annual gathering for supporters from across Surrey and Sussex.