Visitors to a busy Ipswich shopping centre are being offered a free blood pressure check which could potentially save their lives.

Ipswich Star: Rotarian Robin Watson and Clare Peck, of Sailmakers Shopping Centre Picture: WARREN PAGERotarian Robin Watson and Clare Peck, of Sailmakers Shopping Centre Picture: WARREN PAGE (Image: Pagepix Ltd 07976 935738)

The Rotary Club of Ipswich has teamed up with the Stroke Association to promote their Know Your Blood Pressure campaign at Sailmakers Shopping Centre on Saturday, April 6.

There are more than 150,000 strokes every year in the UK and high blood pressure is the biggest risk factor, contributing to more than half of all strokes.

Robin Watson, who is part of the Rotary Club of Ipswich’s community service committee and has been organising the free checks for the past three years, knows from personal experience how quickly a stroke can come on and is urging people to get themselves checked out.

Robin and his fellow members will be providing help and information while qualified nurses carry out free blood pressure checks from 10.30am until 2.30pm on April 6, with a team from the Rotary Club of Ipswich Wolsey then taking over until 4.30pm.

He said: “The Rotary is one of the biggest charity organisations in the world. They do some amazing things.

“The Rotary has the will and the people to do events like this. When we set up we’ll have four or five Rotarians on for every shift and we’ll be encouraging people to get checked.

“During each of the last two years we’ve had 200 people coming over to have their blood pressure taken.

“These days people often can’t tell if they have high blood pressure and it’s quite surprising the number that you get and particularly younger people too.”

Mike Sorhaindo, Sailmakers Shopping Centre manager, said: “We’re delighted to play our part in helping the Rotary and Stroke Association provide such an important service which can help save lives.

“I’d urge visitors to the shopping centre, whatever age you are, to take up the opportunity of a free blood pressure check even if it’s just to put your mind at rest.

“Understanding the link between high blood pressure and stroke, as well as other risk factors and how you can reduce them could prove to be the difference between life and death.”