THE Rotary Club of North Cotswolds is offering free blood pressure checks as part of Rotary International's awareness to combat strokes.

Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland, along with the Stroke Association, are teaming together for the "Know Your Blood Pressure" campaign and will be hosting the free checks on the green in Bourton-on-the-Water this Saturday, May 7. The aim is to raise awareness of the link between high blood pressure and strokes.

As well as having a blood pressure check, local residents and visitors to Bourton-on-the-Water will also be offered advice leaflets on steps to keep blood pressure under control and reduce their stroke risk.

The test takes a moment to do and potentially, it could save your life. Last year Rotary held 1,680 events around the country and this year we are keen to reach more people.

Alexis Weironiey, deputy director of Policy and Influencing at the Stroke Association, said: “Having a regular blood pressure check is so important. Estimates suggest there could be almost seven million people with high blood pressure who are undiagnosed and at risk of having a stroke. Many people have high blood pressure without realising it because often it has no symptoms. High blood pressure is far more common than you would think and it can be deadly, but it is treatable. With events like this, together we can conquer stroke.”

In addition to the event on Saturday, there will be blood pressure checks throughout the year. To find your nearest blood pressure event, you can visit www.stroke.org.uk/kybp