What a week!
From 29th June to 3rd July, members from across Headway Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland’s Outreach and Day Services came together for our annual Activities Week—five unforgettable days packed with laughter, friendship, adventure and plenty of happy memories.
Activities Week has become one of the highlights of our calendar. It’s ambitious, it takes plenty of planning and coordination, but every single year it reminds us exactly why we do it.
The aim is simple: to give people the opportunity to enjoy themselves, spend time together, build confidence and experience something new within our local community. Whether it’s visiting somewhere for the very first time, trying an activity they never thought they’d enjoy or simply spending the day laughing with friends, these shared experiences matter.
This year’s programme certainly didn’t disappoint!
We wandered through the beautiful Leicester Botanical Gardens, taking in the peaceful surroundings and enjoying nature at its best. We reached for the stars with a fascinating visit to the National Space Centre, where curiosity and conversation were in full flow. Creativity took centre stage as we spent time painting together in Evington Park, proving that everyone has an artist waiting to emerge.
There was plenty of excitement at the Vue Cinema at Meridian Leisure Park, where we enjoyed a screening of Supergirl together, and to round off the week, we made the most of the glorious summer weather with a walk around Everards Meadows, followed by some very well-earned (and slightly cheeky!) summer desserts.
Perhaps the most wonderful part of the week wasn’t just where we went, it was who we shared it with.
Members from across our services joined together, many meeting people they hadn’t spent time with before. Staff and volunteers turned out in fantastic numbers to support the trips, creating an atmosphere that was welcoming, inclusive and full of encouragement. Seeing so many different personalities come together, making new friendships and sharing experiences, was something truly special.
Some of our favourite comments from the week included:
“What a hilarious week!”
“It was wonderful to see everyone smiling so much.”
“It was great to see so many different personalities brought together.”
“There was lots of laughter, happy memories and fun shared by everyone.”
Those comments perfectly capture what Activities Week is all about.
For many people living with the effects of acquired brain injury, opportunities to get out, connect with others and enjoy new experiences can make a real difference. These aren’t just days out, they’re opportunities to rebuild confidence, reduce isolation, strengthen friendships and remind people that life can still be full of adventure.
A huge thank you goes to every member who came along and threw themselves into the week, to our incredible staff and volunteers whose enthusiasm made each day possible, and to everyone who worked so hard behind the scenes to organise another fantastic Activities Week.
Thank you to the Chesterton’s House Foundation who subsidise these activities with grant funding – we couldn’t do it without you!
It may be one of the busiest weeks of the year, but it’s also one of the most rewarding.
Here’s to Activities Week 2026… and already looking forward to the next one!
By Tor Berry 5th July 2027