NELSONS LEGAL DIRECTOR APPOINTED AS TRUSTEE FOR BRAIN INJURY CHARITY

A SPECIALIST clinical negligence solicitor at leading East Midlands firm Nelsons has been made a trustee of Headway Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland – a longstanding brain injury charity.

Following her support of the Leicester-based charity since 2021, Danielle Young will now sit on the board of trustees, helping to oversee important decisions to drive forward fundraising success and enhancing the support given to the charity’s many beneficiaries.

Danielle said: “Over the past few years, I have spent time at Headway House learning about the charity’s work, getting to know the fundraising manager Tor Berry and inviting her to attend local events to enhance their connections with organisations across the city.  In April, we were really pleased to be able to host an event at our Leicester office to launch Headway Leicester’s Travelling Gallery, which will embark on a city-wide tour throughout the year, showcasing the remarkable work created by their members. Art therapy sessions are just one of the many initiatives known for having a profoundly positive impact on wellbeing that Headway Leicester promotes.”

 

Founded in 1979 as a national organisation, Headway has since flourished, with affiliated groups and branches across the British Isles. Headway Leicester began in 1990, growing from one part-time staff member to a dedicated team-of-eight. They operate a thriving day service five days a week, along with a comprehensive city and countywide outreach service.

As a trustee, Danielle will now attend board meetings four times per year to discuss strategy, projects and campaigns, and step in where needed to act as a voice and a visible representative for the charity and meet important policy makers such as at a recent event with a local MP.

Speaking of her appointment, Danielle added: “I have an overwhelming sense of pride to be made a trustee. I’ve known for a long time how important Headway is, doing what I do and seeing first hand the impact of brain injury, not just for the individual but their family and loved ones. Brain injuries can happen to anyone. Lives are altered and everything can change in an instant. It cannot be underestimated how charities like this are helping people survive.

“I now have a formal and proactive way to help Headway continue to thrive. I plan to think outside the box and look at fresh approaches, to ensure the organisation is able to keep expanding and more people are able to access the specialist help offered. It is truly a wonderful charity, doing wonderful things.

And of course, this all stems from being part of a law firm that wants to empower people and make a positive contribution to the communities where we live and work. Thanks to the culture at Nelsons, I have been encouraged to fulfil this role and I am grateful to be regularly supported by colleagues who do their part to attend events alongside me.”

 

Danielle’s work with Headway Leicester comes after Nelsons nominated it as the firm’s charity of the year for the Leicester office in 2022/23. Lisa Preece, partner and head of the personal injury team has also been involved with Headway Lincolnshire for more than two decades, having been the former chair and trustee and now running a monthly support group  as a volunteer.

Lisa said: “We are so proud of Danielle for everything she has put into her role with Headway Leicester so far, and to be recognised and asked to become a trustee is testament to her level of commitment and how much she cares.

I see this everyday with her client work, and I know she will bring the same passion and professionalism to the Headway board. She has the perfect skillset for the role and her experience will be useful and valued by the charity.”

 

Tor Berry, fundraising manager at Headway Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland, said:

“We are delighted that Danielle has agreed to join our board of trustees; not only does her legal expertise lend a deeper understanding of the inequalities and healthcare challenges that people who have suffered a brain injury face but also because Danielle so clearly possesses those natural stirrings of activism and civic mindedness that can make a significant contribution to the direction of the charity as a whole.

We are the only specialist provider of support to those living with brain injury in Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland and with over 30 years’ experience doing so, it is evident to us at all times the value of the organisation but impressing that value upon potential sources of funding and additional support from statutory services is increasingly difficult. We therefore rely upon the talent of our people and the dedication of our community; the staff, the trustees, the carers we work with and the people we collaborate with.

We work with approximately a hundred people with a brain injury or after stroke on a weekly basis, offering various therapeutic routes and opportunities to learn, develop and rehabilitate. If you were to ask a member what they liked most about the organisation or really ‘got out of it’ they would almost universally say; ‘friendship’ and ‘knowing we’re not alone’.”

 

To speak to one of Nelsons’ personal injury solicitors, please visit: https://www.nelsonslaw.co.uk/serious-injuries/

For more information on Nelsons, please visit www.nelsonslaw.co.uk.