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In Headway Essex we offer a number of different supports for people with brain injury and also for families as well. We have the day centre and people who are eligible for the day centre services can come here. Some people come once a week and take part in specific activities that kind of help them with such things as hobbies, but also activities that might help them get back into work. So, there'd be math-based things, computer-based days, other people come for what more call social rehabilitation, to take part in social activities to help themselves mix with other people again, but also, to understand their own condition.
We also have the Community Support Service of Headway Essex, which is a support service for people with brain injury and their carers, their family and the wider community. And we also offer some posting to other services as well, that people might need to make use of.
And then there is a separate support group for carers and family members, so that they can come and maybe talk about things that they don't really want to talk about in front of the person with the brain injury, and receive support from each other; and people have said that how helpful that actually is.
We also run a 10-week group which is a course in the community for people with brain injury, so that they can help understand their condition a lot better. Also, there is, here in Headway Essex, a psychotherapy counselling service as well that's offered to people with brain injury and also their family members.
Without coming to Headway every week, I'd be... They didn't save my life, but they made my life better because it was terrible before. Because I was struggling to walk, struggling to carry things and whenever I came in and got involved, I then did it. Carried cups of tea every week, or I would decorate the Christmas tree, or I would do something that you would do in everyday activity.
I always thought that centres like Headway were just for people who were older. I didn't think that they were people who had had a brain injury. I just sat in the corner and just want to blend into the wall because I couldn't understand why I was here, but the biggest thing here is the peer support. People could see what I was going through and they'd all experienced exactly the same.
And so it's because of persistence, keeping those things going, that I've become as tolerant to walking and other things, even of the head injuries, they've made me better in a way.
