National Award for Headway Leicester!
In February of this year, we were awarded £16,700 from the National Lottery as part of their Awards for All grant scheme. We were so excited about this and the period of growth we were experiencing that we wrote to our then MP, Claudia Webbe, inviting her and some local councillors to visit us for the day, meet the members, and have a cuppa!
The MP not only showed up, but she spent a few hours with us, asking questions, speaking with the members, and even doing some woodwork! After her visit, the MP’s office called us to inform us that Claudia had been so impressed by what she learned that she nominated us for an NHS Parliamentary Award 2024. We were thrilled, of course, and a little bemused, admittedly, as we had only a limited understanding of what the awards entailed and what the recognition really meant!
Due to the General Election, the awards ceremony and announcements were delayed and eventually held on Monday, 14th October, at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in Westminster. Accompanied by our Chair of Trustees, Reg Perrins, Volunteer Finance Lead, Michael Condon, and Services Director, Mary Goulty, we attended this extraordinary event, feeling increasingly nervous. As we sat there soaking it all in, we knew it was a standout moment for both the charity and our own working lives. We were welcomed with a video address by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and warmly in person by Amanda Pritchard, Chief Executive of NHS England.
The NHS Parliamentary Awards were sponsored by The Medical Defense Union, The Chartered Management Institute, Alzheimer’s Society, and Fujifilm, with esteemed judges from across the Third Sector, including the Medical Director of NHS England, the Chief Executive of the King’s Fund, and the Chief Executive of The Royal Voluntary Service. The ceremony also included speeches and recognition from Rt Hon Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health & Social Care. Needless to say, we felt very proud to have our charity recognized by these groups and individuals at a national level.
What a journey it has been for us! Out of 900 nominations, we made it to a National Shortlist of 70, and the absolute icing on the cake is that we were Highly Commended in our category. Perhaps most importantly, the profile of brain injury has been raised again, and alongside Emergency Care, Mental Health was a key area of NHS focus for this process.
As a rule of thumb, everyone here at Leicestershire, Leicester, and Rutland is proud to be part of this organization, working with such brave, talented, and quirky individuals who live with brain injuries. After this recognition, we are all permanently beaming, looking like we’ve slept with coat hangers in our mouths!
Tor Berry
Development Manager
Development Manager
