Why Promo Stuff Supports the Stroke Foundation

When we set Promo Stuff up as a social enterprise, the Stroke Foundation was one of the first charities we approached. For me, the reasons are both professional and personal.

Twenty years of working together

Before Promo Stuff, my business supplied promotional products to the Stroke Foundation for more than two decades, including merchandise for their F.A.S.T. campaign. So when we formed Promo Stuff to give our profits to charity, it felt right that they were one of the first organisations we offered our support to.

The morning the F.A.S.T. signs mattered

A few years ago my mother rang me early one morning. Dad had gone to bed early the night before feeling unwell, and he hadn't improved overnight. When I asked about his symptoms, I suspected a stroke straight away. Years of working on the F.A.S.T. campaign had taught me the telltale signs.

When Dad saw a doctor later that day, it was confirmed: he'd had a subarachnoid haemorrhage, a type of stroke caused by bleeding around the brain. It's often fatal, and we were lucky the delay in getting help didn't cost him his life.

According to the Stroke Foundation, stroke is one of Australia's biggest killers. It kills more women than breast cancer and more men than prostate cancer.

Recovery is a family journey

Like so many others, Dad's recovery wasn't easy. It's a journey shared by families and carers, who can feel overwhelmed and unprepared to give the care that's needed. However capable you feel beforehand, in a crisis it can be hard to know even the first step. The Stroke Foundation fills that gap with the help, information and support families need.

Looking back, two things stay with me. The key signs of a stroke were missed, and the delay could have been fatal. And most of us don't have the knowledge or skills to care for a stroke survivor without guidance from people who do. Those are exactly the two things the Stroke Foundation works on.

Know the signs: think F.A.S.T.

• FFace: has their mouth drooped?
• AArms: can they lift both arms?
• SSpeech: is it slurred, and do they understand you?
• TTime is critical. If you see any of these signs, call 000 straight away.

Learn more at the Stroke Foundation.

What our support looks like

The Stroke Foundation has been one of our charity partners since 2024, and they've listed us among their supporters. As a Social Traders certified social enterprise, we give at least half of our profits to our charity partners. We're a small business, so our contribution is modest for now, but it grows with every order.

Brad Picking, Managing Director, Promo Stuff