A NATIONAL charity opened its doors to Bromsgrove residents to mark two years since the facility opened.

The Stroke Association’s Life After Stroke Centre, in Church Lane, first opened in May 2012.

The state-of-the-art facility is the national headquarters of the charity and was the first centre in the country to deliver training for volunteers and care workers so they can support stroke victims and their families.

On Thursday, (May 8), the centre opened its doors to the public with more than 100 residents turning up for the event.

Visitors learned about stroke, mini-stroke and the services available to stroke survivors and their families at the centre.

Teams were also on hand to advise people on how they can reduce their risk of stroke.

The second anniversary included the community opening of the Edith Murphy House - the second phase of the centre’s opening.

The new facility features a lounge, arts and crafts room, and a quiet room all being used by stroke survivors and their families.

Hugh Tibbits, head of regional operations at Stroke Association in the West Midlands, said: "We were thrilled with how the celebration of the Life After Stroke Centre went.

"We had blood pressure checks, Tai Chi, a cake sale, and even though there was some rain; we still had our BBQ, but indoors.

"We had a performance of World War One and Two songs from our choir too – this was fantastic as it shows how far the stroke survivors have came since joining the choir, as a third of stroke survivors in the UK have aphasia.”

For more on the association and the centre, visit stroke.org.uk/LASC.