Students help stroke survivors build strength and confidence through rehabilitation programme
7 October 2026
Stroke survivors from across Cardiff and the Vale have improved their strength, balance and confidence through a Cardiff University programme that is supporting both community health and the development of the next generation of physiotherapists.
The Cardiff University Rehabilitation Academy ran a 10-week series of exercise classes between April and June 2026 at the University's new Heath Park West Campus. Working in partnership with Stroke Association Wales, the programme provided evidence-based rehabilitation for people recovering from stroke while giving physiotherapy students valuable practical experience.
The classes were designed using the latest stroke rehabilitation research and delivered by undergraduate, postgraduate and international MSc Physiotherapy students under the supervision of experienced neurological physiotherapists and senior lecturers Gary Morris and Stephen Dando.
Participants achieved improvements in strength, balance and confidence, helping them take part more fully in everyday activities and physical exercise.
One stroke survivor said: “Before the class, I felt like a victim. I didn't feel like a stroke survivor because I didn't have the confidence to do things.” Another added: “It's given me more confidence with my balance to do walking football. I didn't have that confidence until I'd done this group.”
The impact was also evident to family members. One carer said: “We went to a relative’s house on the weekend and their house isn't accessible. She went up a very high step. I never thought she'd do it, but she did.”
Students also benefitted from the opportunity to apply classroom learning in a real-world setting. One student said: “Being able to gradually progress exercises on our own here gave us the confidence to do that later on in our practice too.”
This global-civic project shows how Cardiff University can make a real difference in the local community while enriching the education of our students. It was inspiring to see stroke survivors gain strength, confidence and independence over the ten-week programme, while our students developed the practical skills, professionalism and communication that are essential for their future practice.
Following the success of the programme, the team are planning future classes for 2027 so that more stroke survivors and physiotherapy students can benefit from the initiative.
The opportunity will be available to students across Cardiff University's Physiotherapy programmes, including undergraduate, pre-registration MSc and postgraduate MSc students. Places are limited, enabling students to gain meaningful hands-on experience while working closely with participants and supervising clinicians.
Classes will be advertised in due course.