The Stroke Association has deleted a series of social media posts and apologised after criticism from beneficiaries and other users over jokes about a viral video.
On Friday, the charity joined other social media accounts in commenting on footage showing two people looking embarrassed after hugging at a Coldplay concert, with posts referencing rumours of infidelity.
After criticism on Threads and an initial defensive response, the charity deleted the posts on Saturday and issued a formal apology today.
Chief executive Juliet Bouverie said the posts were “ill-informed and a huge lapse in judgment” that exploited someone’s misfortune and caused offence among stroke survivors.
She said: “Whilst typically we would try to raise awareness of stroke in a way that aligns with the style and tone of the relevant social platform, capitalising on someone else’s misfortune, in a way which also caused offence amongst some stroke survivors, was ill-informed and a huge lapse in judgment, for which we are extremely sorry.
“This isn’t how we usually speak about stroke – a condition that changes lives in an instant and leaves a deep impact on survivors, families and carers.
“The post was shortsighted and undermined the severity of the condition which we deeply regret.
“We’re also sorry for how we initially responded to criticism. It didn’t show the empathy or thoughtfulness that our community rightly deserves from us and that we pride ourselves on.
“We removed the post from Threads and are taking action to guarantee this can never happen again, so that we stay true to our values across all social platforms, and ensure our content always reflects the compassion and seriousness this cause deserves.”
The original post included the lines: “Nothing destroys lives and families quicker than a stroke” followed by “Coldplay has entered the chat.”
When a user said the post lacked compassion, the charity responded: “We didn’t make anyone have an affair.”
Communications consultant Tom Fishenden said the backlash shows how social media mistakes can have “a far greater impact” for charities than for commercial organisations.
He posted on LinkedIn: “I wouldn’t be surprised if this one post has turned off some donors from the organisation, and has made some partners question what their relationship looks like moving forward.”
He said it is a “fine balance” for charities using humour to address serious issues.
“It is so important that in creating content, we don’t call the severity of the work we do into question. This is where I think this post goes wrong,” he said.
“It takes something which is very serious and life-changing for somebody in a medical environment, and compares it to something which is within a separate context entirely.
“Making that comparison calls into question the severity of a stroke and, therefore, naturally upsets people with lived experience.”
He advised that charities remain focused on their core audiences when publishing content.
“If chasing a quick trend is going to upset and alienate them, or damage your relationship with them, it’s never worth the potential exposure.
“As charities, our public image and our relationship with our donors is our lifeblood. It’s not worth damaging it for passing trends.”
