Press Release

Rotary Stroke and Health Awareness Campaign At the House of Commons

23 April 2007

Some 450 Rotary Clubs are likely to have taken part in the annual partnership event this year. Based on past events some 60,000 members of the public will have blood pressure tests taken and in excess of 10% are likely to need referral to their GPs for professional advice.

Latest figures reveal nearly a quarter of us may become a victim of a stroke - one of the UK's top killers alongside cancer and heart disease.
 
Every five minutes someone in the UK has a stroke. But over 40% of these strokes could be prevented by the control of high blood pressure, the Stroke Association says.

As a part of the promotional lead up to the big BP day, 28th April, the Stroke Association in partnership with the RIBI Community & Vocational Committee in conjunction with the Palace of Westminster Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Service arranged an awareness information stand in the new Portcullis House building.

In the week before the joint event the OHS&WS did a wide email publicity circulation of staff, Members and Peers coupled with an information card on all restaurant dining tables advising of free blood pressure testing, an MP photo opportunity and local press release, and a prize draw for three months free gym membership.

We opened for business at 9am with several interested clients and our two nurses remained busy throughout the day. We did some 200 tests of which perhaps 50 were with members or peers.

We were based in a busy open restaurant environment and we saw a flow of the people that you normally see on the small screen in your living room. You saw faces that you couldn’t put a name to – is that Lord Putnam over there? Oh and there’s David Blunkett going to lunch. There were clusters of members sitting around tables – were they plotting leadership challenges I wondered? Some came up and made conversation about Rotary and strokes before going for their testing – done privately behind closed doors I might add. Some knew about their local Rotary Clubs others didn’t. One new lady Member admitted to not knowing very much about her local club  - information which I passed on to the club to correct! One member admitted to being a Lion! Somebody has to be, I said!

There was a particularly high level of security in operation as it was rumoured that the PM would be passing through the area – but he didn’t. My local MP Keith HIll is the PM’s private secretary and despite my efforts I failed in getting him to persuade the PM to come for a BP test. Keith said he was too busy meeting the President of Jordan I think.

All together it was one of those Rotary days when you felt you had done something worthwhile to promote the work of Rotary.

Colin Bryant Chairman Community & Vocational Committee