The roadshow featured a display of artwork created by Headway Devon clients

To mark Action for Brain Injury Week Headway Devon embarked on a tour of the county, with coffee mornings featuring an exhibition of art produced by people with brain injuries in our valued local centres. The tour took in each of the fife towns wehre Headway Devon runs a centre: Torquay, Tiverton, Exmouth, Honiton and Exeter.

Action for Brain Injury Week is an important and valuable opportunity to raise awareness about brain injury and the lifelong disabilities that it can cause. As well as raising vital funds through the sale of teas, coffees and cakes at each location, this roadshow boosted the profile of Headway Devon and the work that is done in the local community through extensive coverage on local radio stations and in local newspapers. This meant that many people came along to find out more about what we do and offer their support.

Local councillors took time out from their busy schedules to visit the roadshow, including Cllr Bobbie Davies in Torquay, Town Councillor Sharon Pavey in Honiton, and Cllr Ian Martin in Exeter, while the Exmouth event was officially opened by the Town Crier.

Cllr Davies with Sarah at the event in Torquay

Councillor Bobbie Davies, who visited the roadshow in Torquay, commented “I’m astounded at the talent and the stories in the art exhibitions, and I love the poetry. It explains exactly how it must feel not to be able to understand what’s going on in one’s life and adjust to what’s happened. It’s lovely that people have the opportunity to express themselves in this way.”

Cllr Davies also said, “In my previous work I encoutered a lot of people who had similar experiences and there is so little for people to get invovled with, especially the elderly. Often having a stroke is just seen as part of getting older and it shouldn’t be. I wasn’t aware of Headway Deovn and the work that is being done. I had no idea that there were five centres in Devon, and it needs to be broadcast. What Headway Devon is doing is amazing.”

This “roadshow” will be launching in Torquay on Monday 13th May, before moving on to make stops in Tiverton, Exmouth, Honiton and finally Exeter on Saturday 18^th May.

As well as an exhibition of artwork, there will be information stands, delicious homemade cakes, children’s activities, space to enjoy a cup of tea or coffee, and a range of stalls to browse. Entry is free and all money raised will be used towards Headway Devon’s work for local people with brain injuries.

According to Headway fundraiser, Holly, “the aim of Action for Brain Injury Week is to raise awareness of brain injury and to let people know about the vital work that Headway Devon does. Our

“roadshow” will be touring the county during the week to share some of the achievements made by our clients,

and show that there is hope and life after brain injury. We hope that you will come along to have a look at our exhibition and support our vital work when we’re in a town near you.”

Brian the Brain is never one to miss a coffee morning!

The full programme for the week is:

• Monday 13th May — St Luke’s Lower Church Hall, Shedden Hill Road, Torquay. 9am-1.30pm
• Tuesday 14th May — St George’s Church Hall, Fore Street, Tiverton. 9.30am-1.30pm
• Thursday 16th May — Wesley Hall, Tower Street, Exmouth. 10am-3pm
• Friday 17th May — Mackarness Hall, High Street, Honiton. 1.30pm-5pm
• Saturday 18th May — St Stephen’s Church, High Street, Exeter. 10am-1.30pm

For more information about Action for Brain Injury Week and this roadshow or to sign-up to bake cakes for the events, please call us on 01392 211822.

Action for Brain Injury Week 2013 Newsletter

We are looking for a full-time co-ordinator to assist the Community Support Service Managers in the running of the service, primarily by scheduling visits and monitoring care activity using CM2000, our care monitoring system.

Thumbs-up to Headway

Experience/knowledge of PC workstations and Microsoft Office are essential; experience of scheduling and CM2000 an advantage.

Based in our Exeter office.

Work for us.

The sale, which will take place on Wednesday 17^th April from 2pm-7.30pm at Headway Devon’s office in Exeter, offers good quality books from a wide range of genres including:

• Popular fiction and classics
• Children’s books and games
• Non-fiction and autobiography
• Cuisine and cookery

To compliment the event there will be a selection of homemade cakes and biscuits for sale, as well as tea and coffee.

Event organiser, Sarah Prentice, says, “Events like this are a great way for us to raise funds and a brilliant opportunity for local bargain-hunters to find a good deal, while helping local people with disabilities.

“We’re also collecting high quality books for the sale, so if you have any novels, cook books or children’s stories that you were planning to take to a charity shop please consider giving them to Headway Devon – every donation is very welcome.”

All funds raised at the sale will be used to improve the services available to people with brain injuries in Devon. If you’d like to find out more about the sale or the work that we do, please call the office on 01392 211822.

Headway Devon’s office can be found at 1 Wrentham Business Centre, just off Prospect Park in Exeter. The postcode is EX4 6NA. Please call if you would like more detailed directions.

Handmade by the Chocolate Café in Ramsbottom, these chocolate bars are free from palm oil and man-made sweeteners, and, what’s more, all proceeds from these sales will be used to support Headway Devon’s vital work for local people with brain injuries.

The 100g bars, cost £3.50 each and we have these six delectable flavours to choose from in a selection of white, milk and dark chocolate:

• Pure dark chocolate – 70% cocoa and a 2011 Gold Great Taste Award winner;
• Candied mint leaves (dark chocolate) – 70% cocoa dark chocolate with mint;
• Rocky road (milk chocolate) – with chocolate coated cereal, chocolate fudge and marshmallows;
• Crunchy chocolate pearls (milk chocolate) – with white, milk and dark chocolate coated cereal crisps;
• Orange (milk chocolate) – topped with orange pieces;
• Strawberry and vanilla cheesecake (white chocolate) – with strawberry pieces, biscuit and chocolate curls.

Chocolate can be collected from Headway Devon’s head office in Exeter or can be sent by post at a charge of £1.50 for one bar, and an extra 50p for each additional bar.

To place an order call Holly on 01392 211822 or email holly@headwaydevon.org.uk. Please note that stocks are limited, so be sure to get your order in early to avoid disappointment!

Sharon, who arranged the visit over twitter, said “I first heard of Headway after a family member had a stroke last year and Headway supported their recovery. I then chatted with Headway fundraiser Holly and asked if I could pop by one day for a visit. As a councillor representing Honiton Town Council, I do think it is very important to find out more about charities like Headway that work with local people who really need their support.”

As well as providing a range of activities to support people with brain injuries to relearn lost skills and meet new people, Sharon was also interested to hear that the centre undertakes work with the local Youth Offending Team and commented, “It was particularly interesting to hear about the restorative justice programme Headway run for young offenders. The offenders come to Headway to talk to people who are dealing with the long term issues associated with being assaulted and receiving a head injury.”

Headway fundraiser Holly Keatings said, “we are very grateful to Sharon for coming along today and helping us to raise awareness about brain injury and the support that is available for people locally. Unfortunately there is very little public understanding about brain injury and the long-term effects that it can have, which means many people with brain injuries struggle with their difficulties for months or even years before getting in touch with Headway Devon. We hope that, thanks to Sharon’s help, we can look forward to reaching even more of the people who need our support.”

Headway Devon are very lucky to enjoy the support of volunteers studying a wide range of subjects from social care and medicine to psychology and business. Whether these volunteers come to us on placements to support their courses, or are seeking opportunities to meet new people, build their CVs and develop their skills, their involvement is vital to our success and their time and dedication is greatly appreciated by Headway Devon and the people that we support.

And the benefits don’t just go one way, as Shana Bett, who is studying for a BTEC in Health and Social Care at Exeter College, says: “I think I’m benefitting from volunteering too – it’s a great experience to come to the centre, everyone is so friendly and welcoming, and it’s helping me to complete my course by providing me with knowledge and personal experience that I can use in my work.”

Natalie Clapshaw, centre manager at Headway Devon’s day centre in Exeter, says, “volunteers add real value to our centre services, running activities for our clients, providing a listening ear and enabling us to offer one-to-one support to those clients and carers who are most in need. Student Volunteering Week is a great opportunity to celebrate these contributions and thank our student volunteers for giving their time and energy so freely and helping to ensure that we are able to offer the level of support that our clients need and deserve.”

Volunteering for Headway Devon is a great way to meet new people and develop your skills. If you’d like to find out more about our volunteering opportunities please visit our volunteering page.

If you would prefer to receive a copy of this and future newsletters in the post, please call Holly on 01392 211822 or email holly@headwaydevon.org.uk and we’ll add you to our mailing list.

Local volunteers and supporters have recently raised over £800 for Headway Devon, and these donations are very gratefully received at the start of what we expect will be another challenging year.

Kicking off the donations was an impressive £241.17, which was raised by shoppers and staff at Alphington Road Sainsbury’s through a bucket collection. Next in was a £330 donation from the Branscombe Choir who donated the proceeds from their Christmas carol singing to Headway Devon. And finally, the Reverend Robert Jennings, Minister of Glenorchy United Reformed Church in Exmouth, raised £250 in sponsorship by taking part in Exmouth’s Christmas Day Swim.

Community Fundraiser, Sarah Prentice, commented: “We were delighted to have received these very generous donations from our friends and supporters. We know that Christmas can be a very busy and expensive time so we were touched that so many people were willing to take the time to show their support for our work.

“We expect that 2013 will be another difficult year for Headway Devon, and we know that it will be an on-going challenge to ensure that we are able to raise enough funding to be able to continue providing a vital lifeline to local people with brain injuries and their families, but these donations have got us off to a great start and we hope that they will inspire others to get involved too.”

If you would like to help support Headway Devon in 2013 by making a donation or helping to organise a fundraising event, we would love to hear from you. Please call Sarah on 01392 211822 or email sarah@headwaydevon.org.uk.