Calvert Reconnections, based in the heart of the Lake District, is the UK’s first intensive acquired brain injury rehabilitation centre focusing on outdoor activities. The centre combines traditional interdisciplinary clinical therapies with physical activity in the outdoors to maximise recovery, so that individuals have a real pathway back to everyday life.
Cavernoma is a condition that affects around one in every 600 people in the UK. It is a cluster of blood vessels which develops on the brain or spine and looks like a raspberry. In most instances it is symptomless, but around one in every 400,000 cases the cluster of blood vessels can bleed and cause dizziness or seizures and in some very extreme cases a haemorrhagic stroke.
Julie is a retired specialist stroke nurse who now volunteers with her local support group because she knows how important her expertise could be to someone recovering from a brain injury.
Pos+Ability is a charity which offers chair-based exercise and one-to-one support for people from the age of 20 right up to 90 living with a range of neurological conditions. By offering this effective, long term support Pos+Ability enhances people’s well-being and helps them live full, active lives.
Woking Strokeability has been successfully running for almost 20 years. The group was set up in 2003 by David and Edna Balcombe after David struggled to find rehabilitation classes following his stroke.
Headway East Lothian, better known as HEL to its members, is a support group founded in 2004 based in Dunbar, Scotland. The group aims to support and improve the quality of life for people with Acquired Brain Injuries and their families, by offering opportunities to access resources so that they can cope with challenges they may face and help bring people together through tough times. This support for the whole family unit is really important, because the consequences of a brain injury can affect more than just the individual.
Different Strokes is a charity run by young stroke survivors for young stroke survivors. They provide advice and information, as well as offering over 30 support groups which cover areas from Glasgow to the Isle of Wight, and everywhere else in between. Their main aim is to empower these younger survivors so that they can reclaim their lives following a brain injury.