Almost 1,500 strokes are diagnosed in Oxfordshire every year, and more than 11,000 of the county’s residents are stroke survivors. One in six of us will have a stroke at some point in our lives, but in many cases this can be prevented.

The Stroke Association is hosting a community fair in Oxford’s Town Hall which will run alongside and after the Step Out For Stroke walk, from 10am to 1pm on Tuesday. So be sure to come to the fair to explore the wide range of interactive stalls.

Find out more about strokes, understand what blood pressure is and what your blood pressure reading actually means, get involved in research, learn about the hidden heritage of Oxford and relax with a drink and a bite to eat.

May is Action on Stroke Month. So join in and Step Out For Stroke in partnership with Go Active Health Walks on May 27. Our Step Out For Stroke walk aims to raise awareness of strokes and raise vital funds for the work of the Stroke Association.

Step Out For Stroke departs from Oxford Town Hall, St Aldate’s, at 10am and returns at around 11am. Step Out For Stroke is an event that everyone can be part of, and you can set your own challenge depending on your own abilities.

Entry online is just £5 which includes a Step Out For Stroke t-shirt and fundraising pack.

Both the Step Out For Stroke walk and the community fair will be perfect opportunities to meet others from the Oxford community, including stroke survivors, carers, service providers and VIPs.

The Stroke Association is a charity that helps survivors and their families and carers deal with the impact of stroke as well as funding research into the prevention and treatment of stroke. So why not join in and help change the lives of stroke victims and prevent strokes?

Since suffering a major stroke in 2008 I’ve been wanting to do something to help other stroke victims and their families.

So I have decided to participate in the Step Out For Stroke walk. Since being in a wheelchair initially, after my stroke, I have gradually recovered enough to walk without a stick with difficulty. But the furthest I have been able to walk in one go since my stroke is two miles. I have set myself a very big challenge to walk five miles on the Step Out For Stroke walk and I am now in training for this challenge whenever the weather is good enough to get outside.

This will be a truly massive challenge for me and there is no certainty that I will be able to succeed, but I am sure going to give it a go. I am aiming to raise £1,000 for the Stroke Association and have so far raised £450 in sponsorship.

If you would like to sponsor me, feel free to sponsor me online at my Just Giving website by following this link: justgiving.com/ Gavin-Hageman