Office Space in Town Charity Appeal 2018 - The McClafferty Family

Every year, OSiT chooses a charitable cause to raise funds for with the support of all of our employees, clients and visitors to our centres. In 2017, we raised a fantastic £12,141 together for ‘Shelter from the Storm’ to help those affected by homelessness. We choose causes that have personal resonance for members of our community and this year is no exception.

2018’s appeal will support a family close to our hearts, the McClafferty family. Their lives have been severely impacted by the devastating effects of  John McClafferty having suffered a severe stroke. He is pictured above with his wife Hayley and their two daughters, Hollie and Grace.

John was 39 at the time of the stroke, with no prior warnings that something was wrong. After spending just over 2 months in hospital, John was finally allowed home. Intensive physio now follows but the family have been told that it is unlikely John will ever gain feeling or movement in his left arm; his left leg has some movement but no feeling. He can no longer work and needs help with everyday tasks making each day a challenge.

The money we raise this year will help support the family as they adapt to the many challenges of ‘life after stroke’

Fundraising

Our brilliant OSiT team put their hearts and souls into raising money for our charity appeal, whether you buy a bar of chocolate at reception, drinks and treats from one of the many pop-up events throughout the year or sponsor our marathon runs and abseiling challenges you can be sure it's going to a good cause. We manage this aspect of our fundraising internally but if you would like to donate directly, you can do so on our public gofundme page.

Find out more about our previous charity appeals here.

About stroke

A stroke is a brain attack. It happens when the blood supply to part of your brain is cut off. Blood carries essential nutrients and oxygen to your brain. Without blood, your brain cells can be damaged or die. This damage can have different effects, depending on where it happens in your brain. A stroke can affect the way your body works as well as how you think, feel and communicate. Stroke is an important issue for all businesses, their staff and customers. One in six people are affected by stroke in their lifetime, and 1.2 million survivors are struggling to cope with the effects of stroke today. This means that the people that businesses touch are also those that stroke can touch.

For more information about the effects of stroke visit the Stroke Association  www.stroke.org #conquerstroke