Member Article

Coalfields cash ensures brain injury survivors are never forgotten

Headway Rotherham, which has been improving the lives of people suffering from brain injuries for close to 30 years, has secured £10,000 from the Coalfields Community Investment Programme, delivered by the Coalfields Regeneration Trust.

Since registering as a charity in May 2003, Headway Rotherham has worked across Rotherham and adjacent boroughs to promote the understanding of all aspects of brain injury and provide critical services to survivors and their families.

Thanks to the funding secured, the organisation will launch a new programme of social and interactive activities to support residents who are suffering with acquired brain injuries, as well as their families and carers.

With more than 1 million people in the UK living with the long term consequences of a brain injury, this new project will tackle social isolation, while ensuring survivors remain active and continue to develop new skills, giving them a better quality of life.

Trustee of Headway Rotherham, Kris Mentlak, comments: “Adjusting to life after suffering a serious brain injury can be extremely traumatic for survivors. Equally, it can be just as difficult for their family and friends, especially when the correct support is so hard to find.

“Headway Rotherham is a beacon of hope for these individuals as we help rebuild lives and show them that they can still be valued members of society. Without this funding from CCIP, this initiative wouldn’t be possible, and we simply couldn’t deliver the local services that act as a lifeline for our residents.”

Development Manager for the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, Lynn Utting, comments: “As former mining communities sit within some of the most deprived areas in the UK, the support needed to help those who have specific needs can be hard to find.

“If the most vulnerable people in our communities are to live fulfilled and meaningful lives, we must make it priority to allocate funding to organisations like Headway Rotherham so they can continue to provide these essential services.

“As a self-funded organisation, our support can only go so far. That is why we are calling on the government to create a dedicated coalfield investment fund. We know these communities and what they need, and with further resource we can scale-up our activities to deliver lasting change.”

As Headway Rotherham has become a member of Coalfield Community Investment Programme it will continue to be supported by the Trust and will receive bespoke practical support that includes everything from access to resources and services such as help with third-party funding applications and bid-writing, to tips on effective promotion and marketing.

The Coalfields Community Investment Programme supports organisations and programmes of activity that meet with three key criteria; to address skills, employment or health and wellbeing.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Nick Hill .