Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Headway celebrate game changing National Lottery win supporting outreach program for brain injury survivors.

Leicestershire, Leicester & Rutland Headway is celebrating a landmark moment receiving National Lottery funds to support its work, operating across the East Midlands to provide specialist support to individuals after a brain injury.

The money put forward will fully fund their dedicated outreach programme; the first point of contact for any survivor, offering 1:1 support, hospital visitations, improved accessibility to their community and critical signposting.

Critically receiving five year’s funding from The National Lottery for their outreach programme provides genuine sustainability of the service too.

Development Manager, Tor Berry says: “People who have suffered from a brain injury may have long term and complex needs and we need to be able to support them throughout their journey of recovery. A person is admitted to hospital with a brain injury every three minutes, we have a responsibility for these services to be ran with long term goals and I feel fortunate that we had a TNL funding office who understood this”.

 

Established in 1990 Leicester Headway as it’s known for short, provides a day service five days a week alongside their outreach service, which is also accessible remotely – a major step taken during the Covid years that remains in place due to its success. There is scope now to extend this Digital Day Service too, which is well attended by individuals with a brain injury and often those caring for them too. An example of the type of virtual support provided which benefits both carers and brain injury survivors is the Fatigue Management Course, run online at different points in the year.

The day service offers a range of activities designed to create both independence and a sense of community to boost confidence and sociability.  This includes running workshops in woodwork, arts and crafts, cookery, computing and gardening, creating a space for self-expression and understanding. Their outreach program is both the liaison for the day service, as well as providing case by case support for survivors and family members alike –an incredible point of call particularly during the adjustment period survivors experience.

With funds allocated to their outreach program, Headway Leicester can launch new Community Hubs across the counties, reaching out to many more people and extending opportunities for people with a brain injury to connect with one another.

Services Director Mary Goulty runs the organisation with a committed team of support workers, counsellors and specialist staff, allowing thirty years front lining and life changing care.

Mary says, “Following the pandemic it’s been almost five years since we ran Community Hubs and the relief being able to get this part of the service back is huge. We know there are many people we don’t necessarily see because they cannot physically get to the day service, or they don’t meet the eligibility criteria of Adult Social Care for example to receive other funding. We need to be able to help those individuals and take their isolation seriously as well as possibly signpost services such as the brain injury identity card run by Headway UK”.

Outreach Support Staff Member, Dawn Gray says: “I’ve been working for Headway Leicester for over 20 years so I’m personally invested in how much time I can spend with the people we work with; listening, holding their hand if necessary and of course helping them. That’s what this award means for us, that I now can spend the time, proper time with people living with a brain injury, in the hope of achieving the best personal outcome for them.”

 

The National Lottery Community Fund remains the largest community funder in the UK and sits at the heart of communities to create opportunities which by 2030 will distribute £4 billion towards programs like the outreach programme at Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Headway, which promote and create inclusivity, connection and strengthen our communities.

For any press enquiries or to get in touch with Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Headway please contact Tor Berry, Development Manager on 07949318629 or by email tor.berry@headwayleicester.org.uk

written by Maddie Simms, BA Honours Creative Writing, University of Warwick