Welcome to Headway Portsmouth and South East Hampshire
Registered Charity Number 1086140
Company Registration Number 4184335
Headway Portsmouth and South East Hampshire provides personalised advice, information and practical support to assist rehabiliation, and maximise recovery and independance. This community based intervention and prevention work in cognitive and social rehabiliation can significantly impact on the level of recovery for the person with brain injury by improving self-esteem and confidence whilst maximising potential for long term independence, enabling people with brain injury to break the circle of support and moving on with their lives.
We understand your sence of loss and anxieties about the future. You're not alone with Headway Portsmouth and South East Hampshire
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'15 years on from my brain injury and cycling as before' By Glen Wicken 2015
I find I had to believe it has been almost 15 years this summer that I had a BMX racing accident that caused a coup injury on Brain (shaking of the brain on impact) when my head hit the track, and what a journey I have taken since then.
Would I change what has happened to me? No I would not! I have meet so many amazing people and learnt more than I think I would have done if this had not happened to me. I think I would change the fact my short term memory drives me up the wall sometime, especially when I’m at work and can’t remember the names of people, and objects which I fell makes me look stupid sometimes. But I feel it made me a better person and appreciate that how different everybody is in ways I would have never seen before.
The first two years after the accident from what I remember was really hard understanding why I felt so different and could not remember anything in particular from the few years before. Pictures and photos disturbed me as I could not see myself visually sitting or standing in that situation, was really weird.
The more the years rolled on the more memories I had of the present time after head injury and the times before started to not matter as much. I just plodded along for a while.
I found some part time volunteer work with a disabled sailors association which showed me that I was able to do more than most people with disabilities and my confidence built. This was all down to Headway opening doors for me and sending me on courses and guiding me back to work as I wanted to work to support myself and my family.
At some point in the third year after the injury I started to look at designs of disabled vehicles. I went to college studying motor vehicles believing this would help me gain confidence and see how much I could still learn. I made small steps to start with. I passed my course and did some Basic English as well which I found hard as I couldn't recall the alphabet sometimes.
I believed that I could make a disabled motorised bike for wheel chair users after seeing something on you tube that inspired me. Why I don’t know but something told me to build it!
I built it, rode it to Headway and said look what I’ve made! Sharon the manager of Headway Portsmouth was amazed! “What is that!” she said “ you made that?”
Anyway to cut a long story short Headway helped me to get companies interested in what I had made by contacting the News which then got a lot of people interested in this crazy motorised vehicle I had made and I was contacted by companies who made disabled vehicles and bikes, if I could maybe come and work part time for them! So I did. I had nothing to lose only to gain.
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JAMIE'S DRY JANUARY Published 31st December 2014.
Brain injury survivor Jamie Bowbrick has pledged to raise funds and awareness for Headway Portsmouth and South East Hampshire by making January a booze free zone! Jamie’s idea is not a new one, but it is simple. No alcohol al all for 31 days of January.
Jamie said “I am swapping my pints for pounds to raise funds for Headway. I wanted to give something back for all their support following my brain injury several years ago – and it’s also my way of raising awareness of brain injury and informing people of the additional effects alcohol can have on people following a brain injury”
As a brain injury survivor, Jamie is aware of the added problems people with brain injury can face when drinking alcohol. There is plenty of evidence that alcohol and brain injury have similar negative effects on mental abilities like memory and thinking flexibility. Alcohol also magnifies some of the cognitive problems caused by brain injury. Alcohol can also make it harder to speak clearly and others may find it difficult to understand what is being said. Drinking reduces recovery from brain injury and increases a person’s chance of becoming injured again. It also increases depression and vulnerability.
HOW TO SUPPORT JAMIE
Jamie has pledged to donate the money he saves on alcohol to Headway; He has also set up a fundraising page at:
https://www.justgiving.com/Jamies-challenge
Jamie hopes that people will be generous with donations and may want to join him, which will help spur him on. Supporters can also donate through text giving – a simple process which involves sending just one standard text message.
To donate through text simply text the codeword: HDWY90 stating the amount of the donation and send the text to 70070. Jamie will be keeping a diary on his progress — so stay tuned to his fundraising page to see how he copes with swapping cans for a cuppa!
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"A bang on the head changed my life!"
First published in the Daily Echo, Friday 28 November 2014 in Living & Lifestyle
Last updated 14:06 Friday 28 November 2014 by Catherine Collins
WHEN Mel Lightfoot slipped on a wet pavement and hit her head while on a shopping trip to B&Q in Hedge End she thought she was suffering from concussion.
But, when her symptoms – which included poor concentration, memory difficulties, confusion in speech and extreme tiredness – didn’t go away, Mel, 51, found herself struggling to find out what exactly was wrong with her.
“As time went on, I knew something wasn’t right, it was a bit of a gradual deterioration and I wasn’t sure at first whether it was age related - it wasn’t. Read my full story in News and Updates in our Fundraising section.
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THE Woman of the Year Awards run by The News is an opportunity to shine a light on those who have shown courage, strength and tenacity. 
And no-one sums up those qualities more than Christina Corps.
Ten years ago, following an horrific car accident, medics told her family she would never walk or talk again. But, Christina, 27, from Fareham, has stunned everyone by learning to do just that – and even running six times in the Race for Life.
She has made it her mission to prove that people with brain injuries can recover and live a full and happy life. Her work with the charity Headway has earned her a Woman of the Year Award nomination from Headway case manager Linda Stewart. She said: ‘I have known Christina for over three years and in that time I have witnessed her positivity and determination to overcome any obstacles that have presented themselves.
‘She has never allowed the difficulties she has prevent her from leading a full and meaningful life and she is not afraid to take on new challenges. ‘Christina has contributed to training sessions for support workers and trainee social workers, giving them a much better understanding of how to work effectively with someone who has a brain injury.’
Linda added: ‘I do not want to underestimate the difficulties that Christina has to contend with on a daily basis. Despite this, she has made remarkable strides and is a real inspiration to all of us who continue to admire her tenacity and determination to lead as independent a life as possible.’ Christina’s bravery is an example to all women.
This article was published by the News on Saturday 19th November 2014.
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ELVIS TRIBUTE ACT, BARRY PAULL, PROVES THE KING STILL LIVES ON!
With a song and dance performance that the King himself would have been proud, Barry Paull worked the crowd at the Cosham Community Centre last Saturday night, successfully raising awareness and funds Headway Portsmouth.
Read the full story in our Fundraising section.
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Portsmouth brain injury charity Headway Portsmouth partnered with Community First HEH to offer Service Users their first qualification since they received their injuries.
