Our latest news about opening up face to face services and useful information we provide is available to download from this page.
Liz Bamber
Tony’s Close Shave
Headway Preston and Chorley’s brain injury survivor Tony Gansler has a very close shave in aid of Headway Preston and Chorley.
On his 60th Birthday he wanted to mark the event with a fundraiser for Headway Preston and Chorley.
Ths close shave took place at Jesseys Barbers Lane Ends in Preston and you can still donate here:
Headway Preston Spring News 2021
We are pleased to announce our roadmap for opening up services and we look forward to welcoming existing clients and new members alike, however pre-booking for all our services is required.
Opening up will start with our office premises on 17th May where we will be able to see clients face-to-face for pre-booked appointments. This service will cover any support that cannot be dealt with over the telephone or via our virtual service.
We are also delighted to announce our first outdoor supervised walk on 25th May, followed by the start of our Headway Preston community session on 3rd August 2021.
We will be posting a copy of the newsletter below to all our clients.
Tippings Christmas Lights raises £26,188.67
Tippings Christmas lights have been raising money for charity for the past 9 years and in that time Mark and Nicola Tipping have raised £107,596.67.
3 years ago they included Headway Preston and Chorley as one of their chosen charities alongside Rosamere Cancer Foundation, Derian House and Jordan Grant 18 Memorial Fund (Cardiac Risk in the Young).
Liz Bamber, manager of Headway in Preston said, Mark and Nicola are my neighbours, and when they learned about our charity, they didn’t hesitate to support us. We are enormously grateful to them and all who help to construct and dismantle the lights each year. The amount raised this year is staggering and will be split between the four local charities. Thank you to everyone who has donated.
December News
Hello! from Headway Preston and Chorley. How are you?
Well, this year has been a different year for all of us. We have not been able to meet since February and we have all missed the community sessions.
We have found new ways of working and helping new and existing clients to ensure they are supported. Some people have sadly suffered ill health, some bereavement and mentioned the loneliness caused by lockdown is affecting their mental health.
Please remember this cannot go on forever and as soon as we can, we will resume meetings. In the meantime we are at the end of a phone or video call and can help remotely in a number of ways see attached news bulletin.
If you would like to receive information about our services by post please contact us: services@headwaycentrallancashire.org.uk.
Coronavirus Community Support Fund award.
Funding from the Coronavirus Community Support Fund, distributed by The National Lottery Community Fund, awarded today has helped ‘Headway Preston Keep On Going’. The money is awarded for a 6 month period to deliver essential services including our helpline 07557123493 and staff managing the outreach service.
Liz Bamber, Charity Manager said, ‘this is a special fund for small charities who are delivering essential services in their communities during Coronavirus restrictions. Most charities are worried about how they will survive and adapt to the current ways of working. Most of us work face to face with our clients often providing immediate assistance to those who need our help. Social distancing has effected how we work and how we fund our charities. Thanks to the Government for making this possible’.
The National Lottery Community Fund
ABI week 28th September – 4th October 2020
One of the most common concerns from brain injury survivors is the profound impact that can have on their lives and relationships post brain injury. This year ABI week focuses on memory problems and how we can help patients and their families develop strategies using aids to remember everyday things.
In January 2020, Headway UK launched a survey into the effects of memory loss, to be completed by brain injury survivors or their family members and carers acting on their behalf.
The results are striking, with 85% of survivors experiencing a negative impact on their lives and 65% feeling that their personal relationships have been negatively affected as a result of their memory problems.
At Headway Preston and Chorley we supply simple aids such as diaries, white boards, post-it pads to our members. We also talk through strategies to help cope with memory loss including using mobile phone Apps, alarms and devices such as Amazon’s Alexa.
Headway UK produces a booklet on memory problems after brain injury which you can download directly from their website or contact us for a hard copy.
I should be at the Golf Day but…!
Our Headway Golf Day was originally scheduled to take place on Thursday 24th September. However, as with many charity events this year, we were forced to cancel due to Covid-19 restrictions. We simply would not have been able to organise the event to be as safe (and as fun!) as it should have been.
Fletchers Golf Day last year raised over £10,000 for Headway Preston and Chorley; a huge amount of money that went on to support those affected by acquired brain injury and major trauma. Although we don’t expect to raise as much this year, we’re inviting you to join in our virtual campaign, in order to raise some of the funds the charity has missed out on in 2020:
Thank you to all who can donate.
Preston brain injury charity needed now more than ever
Local brain injury charity Headway Preston and Chorley is needed now more than ever according to the results of a survey published by Headway UK.
The survey, which explored the impact of COVID-19 on people affected by brain injury, found that more than half of brain injury survivors have lost access to rehabilitation services as a result of lockdown and are finding isolation very difficult.
Early rehabilitation following brain injury can be crucial in helping survivors to regain a degree of independence and relearn lost skills, including walking and talking. But 57% of those who sustained their injuries within the past two years say their access to rehabilitation and community groups has been negatively impacted.
A further 64% of those living with the long-term effects of brain injury reported a deterioration in their mental health as a result of the measures implemented to control the spread of COVID-19, while almost two thirds say they now fear for their futures.
The key findings revealed:
· 57% of people who sustained a brain injury within the past two years reported that their rehabilitation has been negatively impacted
· Two thirds of respondents reported a negative impact on their psychological wellbeing
· 62% of respondents fear for their future
· 50% have lost access to vital support that helps them to cope
· 42% say their rehabilitation has been negatively impacted
See attached press release for more information.
New COVID advice from local government is get tested with or without symptoms.
People in Preston are now being encouraged to get tested with or without symptoms.
There is a temporary walk-in testing station for people without symptoms to get tested at:
Issa Medical Centre 73 St Gregory Road Preston PR1 6YA
Those with symptoms including: a high temperature, a new, continuous cough, or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste should ring NHS 119 first.
