The Early Days of TALK

Barbara Quick is a volunteer at the Guildford Tuesday morning group and is one of the longest-serving of our volunteers. She recalls the beginnings of TALK.

In 1966 she answered an advertisement for a volunteer to help with dysphasic stroke victims. The then organiser, Jill Bayton met Barbara and briefed her on what the job entailed. She was placed on probation – and has been helping us ever since!

“I started by visiting a young man aged 40 at home. I was given notes by the speech therapist that pointed me in the direction of the help that was needed. During this period meetings for volunteers were held at Chertsey Road Stroke Association. An induction course was held on 20th June 1996 in the board room at Farnham Road hospital.”

The programme for that induction course listed guest speakers from the Stroke Association and a speech and language therapist from the North Downs Community Health Unit.

After lunch a workshop was held entitled “How everyday objects can be used to help dysphasic support members”. This was a lesson well learned since we all know how popular Kim’s Game is!

Barbara recalls that on that occasion she met two volunteers who were to become long-time members of TALK – Pat Herzig and Bill White.

Then there was an attempt to establish a group of young recoverers. To try and make it more acceptable to this age range a number of events such as ten-pin bowling, swimming at Broadwater baths and trips to Pew Corner and the Compton art gallery and coffee shop were organised. Unfortunately this venture did not prove a success.

Barbara was then invited to the weekly group held at Park Barn school. Soon after this Jill Bayton gave up her post and Hazel Steel took over. It was at Park Barn that Barbara met June Lawrence and Sheila White

June still volunteers at the morning group in Guildford, and Sheila eventually became the group leader at the morning group. June had worked as a speech therapist assistant at St. Luke’s hospital and then at the Royal Surrey. She began working as a home visitor before joining Jill Bayton’s group at Park Barn.

For a time the venue moved to Emmanuel Church in Guildford but, after a cold and draughty stay, the group returned to new premises at Park Barn. Soon after this move the funding upon which the group had relied was withdrawn.

Thanks to a small group that refused to accept the situation, TALK was born.

From those early days has grown TALK as we know it, with five groups and a new group at Spelthorne in prospect. We now have around 60 members, a similar number of volunteers and a part-time co-ordinator.

Do you have other memories of the early days ?
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