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Celebrating International Day for People with Disabilities: Spotlight on Headway Blackpool
Working across Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde, Headway Blackpool provides vital support and social opportunities for individuals living with acquired brain injuries, as well as their families, friends, and carers. Their work creates a safe, understanding community where people can connect with others who truly understand their experiences.
Many who have experienced traumatic brain injuries face ongoing challenges such as anger, anxiety, and other mental health pressures. Headway offers therapeutic sessions, peer support, and signposting to specialist services to help ease these difficulties. Alongside their direct support, they also deliver education and training for volunteers and the wider public to increase understanding of brain injuries and to reduce stigma.
A core part of Headway’s approach is ensuring their services are shaped by people with lived experience. They have a service-user representative on their Board of Trustees and maintain regular dialogue with members to ensure support remains accessible, relevant, and responsive to need.
With funding from the Community Foundation for Lancashire through the Red Rose Responding Fund, Headway has been able to offer free activities for members and carers, from physical sessions to indoor social activities. Demand remains high, with continuous referrals from social workers, GPs, hospitals, and individuals themselves. Many service users are unable to work and face financial hardship, so these free sessions often provide their only meaningful opportunities for socialisation and recreation.
Since 2021, Headway Blackpool has received £7,600 from the Community Foundation for Lancashire to support their work with people living with brain injuries. Looking ahead, they plan to expand their fundraising activities, involving service users directly in shaping and participating in future initiatives.
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