On Wednesday 17 October we hosted our annual brain injury conference, entirely co-produced with our members, called Small Stories, Big Picture.
More than 60 people attended our Hackney centre, including delegates from the DWP, assessment services, Headway centres, solicitors, university researchers, clinicians and local authorities.
The day started with a session on myth-busting with Megan Callen, member of our Romford support group, and Molly Hilling, the Lead Nurse for Acute Brain Injury at Royal London Hospital
They challenged the audience with statements such as, “Fatigue is just tiredness and will improve with a good night’s sleep,” and “You can make a full recovery from brain injury,” sparking important conversations about what recovery truly involves and the ongoing lack of awareness about the impact of brain injury on everyday life.
We then heard from Dr Mark Holloway, researcher and brain injury Case Manager at Head First and from Dr Laura Boubert, from University of Westminster. They discussed the impact of brain injury on relationships, and current knowledge about post-injury fatigue, which affects up to 80% of survivors permanently.
Both sessions were followed by first-hand testimony from our members. Tony and Hasna, along with their partners, shared how they have navigated the complex path of recovery within their relationships. Alison, Jason, and Yoki provided a detailed account of the challenges of living with fatigue, explaining, “You are very motivated and keep pushing, but there’s something stopping you.”
In the afternoon, our members led a unique Kintsugi workshop, made with antique ceramics – some dating back to the 1800s – donated by our Director of Finance, Willa Geertsema. We were also delighted to host Preetha Narayanan, a renewed musician and yoga teacher, who has been collaborating with Headway since 2020 and led a fantastic meditation session for our audience.
Our members felt that Kintsugi is a powerful metaphor for brain injury: from the struggle of piecing together something that feels broken, to the process of creating a renewed sense of identity and purpose.
A special thank you goes to trustee Alice Kershberg, the members and staff who organised the conference, Mark O’Brien for photos, our kitchen team for a delicious lunch, and to RWK Goodman for sponsoring this vital event!
Here is what some of our attendees said about the conference:
“The real experts of brain injury – those who have experienced it first-hand – shared their personal stories, their vast knowledge and expertise to give us a real insight into what it means to live with a brain injury. It was a privilege to be invited into their world for the day!” Stephanie Edwards, Senior Associate at Irwin Mitchell and Headway East London Trustee
“I was impressed and learnt more about fatigue and brain injury (myths) at the conference and the need for more awareness and support.” Emmanuel Nyanor, Policy and Social Care
“An important reminder of the impact centres like this can have when people have suffered life changing injuries.” Flora McNeil, Solicitor
“Had the privilege of attending an insightful and beautiful conference at Headway East London.
Always a pleasure to learn more about what people go through and how they can be supported.
The day involved hearing the amazing experiences of survivors, and professionals discussing topics such as how brain injury affects fatigue and family relationships.” Ubimilde Trovoada, Brain Injury Rehab and Care
“I am sometimes reminded what a privilege my career is, and yesterday was one of those days. I attended and contributed to the Headway East London user-led conference where stories were told, we learnt from each other’s experience and we laughed, shed tears, and ate wonderful food, and we did this together, and with a good dose of chaos thrown in. Many thanks to the user-committee who drove the whole event.
And in loving memory of Abé who was with us in our thoughts and for whom a chair was saved.” Dr Mark Holloway, Researcher and Case Manager
