A COUPLE have tied the knot after meeting at a stroke survivors club.

Hayley Beale and Andrew Edwards, from Leigh, first met at the Southend Stroke Club in January 2013 and just 18 months later they were married at Southend Registry Office.

Andrew, 47, joined the club in June 2011 and required care to lead a normal life.

When Hayley, 45, suffered her stroke, almost two years ago, she joined the club for mutual support and immediately had a connection with Andrew.

She said: “We hit it off from the minute we first met, but we didn’t get together until Easter 2013.

“The wedding was lovely and went very smoothly, apart from the registrar getting Andy’s date of birth wrong, so we had to go down to the Civic Centre to correct that.

“Life is fantastic now, we both have mobility scooters, but can walk with sticks and I can drive us in my motorbility car.”

The couple bonded over their shared love of Southend United, but Hayley gave up her season ticket last year to save money for the wedding.

They share a positive outlook on life and Hayley attributes that in part to the help and support received from the group.

She added: “Andy and I understand what each other has been through and can talk openly about it.”

The wedding is the first between two members of the group, which was formedin 1978, and fellow member Alan Watkins was delighted to join the happy couple’s big day.

He said: “It very quickly became apparent that Andrew and Hayley were kindred spirits and formed a close friendship through their time together at the club.

“Wewish them a happy life together, it just shows that out of adversity can come some good.”