In November 2023, we opened the door of our Hackney centre for a new group of members as part of a new service: the Evening Service.
This service extends our Day Service, which runs Monday to Friday and supports over 200 people each week. By introducing the Evening Service, we aimed to reach even more people living with brain injury who were on our waiting list and in urgent need of support.
The Evening Service was new, but it was built on 25 years of experience supporting people living with brain injury, their family and carers from 13 boroughs in Northeast London.
Since then, every Wednesday evening, members, staff, and volunteers have come together to create a welcoming and inclusive space where members actively shape every aspect of the project—from preparing delicious dinners to planning creative activities.
They socialise, make friends, share stories, support each other and have fun with art, music and cooking. It’s a place full of connection, creativity, and joy.
One year later, this group has become a close-knit community.
In November we had a fantastic evening of celebration for our fist-year anniversary, which included baking cookies and cheering with a fizzy glass of Nozeco. Watch this video to find out more!
If you or someone you know has a brain injury, you can find more information about how to become a member here.
To find out more about the Evening Service, we spoke to Caroline, one of the first members to join the group and Dominoes master; Omar, who joined as a member six months ago and loves art and cooking; Ilaria, Service Co-ordinator with many years of experience as Community Support Worker; Daphne, Day and Evening Service Deputy Manager and excellent cook; and Patrick, who became a volunteer after finding out about Headway East London through his university course.
What do you do at the Evening Service?
Omar: I have been coming to the Evening Service for six months. Headway is a great place to be. I am learning new things, I socialise with people. We do lots of cooking and art and we play pool. I think every person with brain injury would enjoy being at Headway.
Caroline: I’ve been coming here for a year. I can interact with people similar to me. We paint, we have a good chitchat, we play games…I’m very good at Dominoes! I’ve made lots of new friends, this group has become my other family, my Wednesday family.
Why do you think the Evening Service is important for people living with brain injury?
Daphne: The Evening Service provides our members with a space to socialize in the evening with people who they have become close to. Most of them started together and they’ve grown together and they’ve made the service into something that they want it to be. They’re quite an intimate group. They know what they want to do and how they want to do it.
One of the things that they love best about the Evening Service is that they are having dinner together. Often they’re sitting at home on their own with dinner that’s just put in front of them and they don’t have any company. Here they have this evening meal and a space to chat, talk about current affairs, have a laugh and just be together.
Caroline: This space is important for us so we can feel involved in everything. We plan the day together, cook together. We’re all a bit different, but we understand each other.
Ilaria: The Evening Service helps members to feel part of a community. People living with brain injury often feel marginalised and alone, but here they feel part of a group and accepted for who they are.
Patrick: This is a chance for people living with brain injury to spend time with other people who have similar experiences to them. They understand each other and find the support that they cannot find outside Headway.
How has the group changed in the first year of Evening Service?
Daphne: Members know each other very well now and they’ve grown in confidence and independence.
Caroline: The group has definitely got bigger!
Ilaria: Members have grown in confidence, and they have become friends with each other. At first, they were expecting from staff to have a say in the planning of the day, now they are very independent, take initiatives and are keen to welcome new people in the group.
