Headway, East London 2008

www.headwayeastlondon.org

During the early part of last year I spent a few months volunteering one day a week at Headway. Just reading about it should give you a good picture of what a great place it is, although without spending time there it is hard to understrand what an amazingly positive impact it is having on peoples' lives. Although our partnership with Headway did not fully hit the heights I had hoped for last year, there are understandable reasons this on both sides and having discussed plans for '08 at length with them, I am very confident that we have the right framework and people now in place to ensure that we have an excellent year.

At the start of last year you elected Headway East London as OPS’s domestic charity of choice. Headway is a voluntary organisation based in Shoreditch, East London that is dedicated to providing a better quality of life for people with acquired brain injury, their families and carers. A brain injury has a huge impact on a person's life, potentially affecting physical ability, memory, speech, planning skills and behavior. The strain of these 'hidden' disabilities on family and friends can lead to social isolation.

Headway House is a positive, friendly place where people come to regain lost skills, increase their confidence and make new friends. Although it is estimated that 30,000 Londoners are coping with the long-term effects of brain injury, it is one of only two such centres in the whole of Greater London.

Over the course of last year your money paid for various outings, to museums, galleries, the city farm, cafes etc. The trips are a means to address a multitude of needs; they provide an opportunity to use public transport; a stepping stone towards independent living; they can help increase confidence and help build social relationships. Most importantly, they are a source of great enjoyment and the happy disposition of the attendees will filter through to their families and carers and thus improving their family life and relationships with their friends.

Given that the massive majority of Headways' 2008 resources will go towards covering the costs associated with the move to their new premises at Timber Wharf, next to the Victoria Canal on Kingsland Road, Hackney, our support would be important in ensuring that outings and events would not have to be scarified due to lack of funding. Philippa Paine, our designated contact within the group, is happy for our funds to exclusively cover these types of costs and has stressed that such support allows Headway to be flexible and spontaneous, taking advantage of good weather days as well as the attendance, mood and health of attenders.

One new ongoing project we would be helping is a gardening initiative whereby Headway is aiming to make use of its newly acquired outside space by getting attenders involved in cultivating and maintaining a small herb and vegetable plot. Our money could supply tools, pots, seeds etc to get this started and help it develop. Philippa has stressed that OPS members would be welcome to attend the centre, accompany them on visits or spend some time on the gardening project or the related cooking projects that would run along side this.

Where as our partnership last year didn’t develop quite as much as we had hoped this was partially down to some changes in personnel at the centre and us at OPS concentrating our efforts elsewhere. Having spoken to Philippa at length about her their plans for next year and how OPS can be involved I feel confident in giving this project the big thumbs up.

Marcus Fairhurst, Jan 2008