I have been lucky enough to get involved with the charity Headway Surrey through my master's course at City University, London as a student Speech and Language Therapist. It's a local charity for me in Surrey which does an incredible job of providing support to people with acquired and traumatic brain injury and their families. I have decided to (attempt!) to run the London Marathon on 21st April 2024 in aid of this important charity.

Brain injury can cause a number of cognitive, behavioural, emotional and physical difficulties. Communication problems after brain injury are very common. Brain injury can cause language impairment (aphasia), speech difficulties and cognitive communication difficulties. Although most of us take it for granted, the ability to communicate requires extremely complex skills and many different parts of the brain are involved. Many people will experience more than one form of communication problem after brain injury, depending on the areas of the brain affected and the severity of the injury.

Headway Surrey provides services such as coffee mornings, art sessions and a young person support group. I have been fortunate to help support a new walking talking group as a student volunteer and have seen first hand how much of a lifeline Headway Surrey has been to countless families. The walking talking group allows people with brain injuries to practice their language and communication skills in a fun, friendly and non-judgemental environment, while getting some fresh air and exploring some of Surrey's beautiful parks. It also provides an important support group for family members of people with brain injuries.

To learn more about Headway Surrey you can explore their website: https://www.headwaysurrey.org/

I hope you will help support this fantastic charity!