Headway Cambridgeshire is one of just four organisations that have been selected for the Lloyds Community Fund in our region. This is very exciting because it means we’re already guaranteed to win £500. However, we can double or quadruple our money – and more! The money will be used to make improvements to our gym – to get a new rowing machine.

All we’ll need is your vote!

Read this story about Liam, who regularly uses our gym, to see why having access to a gym like ours is so important following a brain injury.

Liam was a regular weight trainer before his accident in 2012, aged just twenty six. Liam is still living with the effects of his brain injury; he now walks with a frame, and struggles with his memory and concentration. After leaving hospital he felt weak and fatigued, and walking up and down stairs was difficult. Sometimes, he fell at home. He says: “I find I get very tired most days.”

Liam has two young kids at home and he wanted to be able to keep up with them and get around the house on his own. Since starting at the Headway gym, he’s been working on his strength and fitness. Initially he felt frustrated that he couldn’t lift the heavy weights like he could before his injury. Our specialist instructor Veer says: “I have to slow him down from moving on to heavier weights too soon, to make sure he doesn’t pick up an injury.”

Thanks to the hard work he’s been putting in, he can now get up and down stairs more quickly and safely. He hasn’t had a fall in a long time, and his confidence has grown too! Liam’s partner Kristina also feels the benefit: “I don’t have to worry so much now, I don’t have to watch him.” Liam is at the beginning of a long journey, and Kristina appreciates the specialist support: “Headway is perfect for Liam as they understand his needs and help him with his programme.” Our gym instructor is positive about the future: “Liam is a pleasure to work with. Eventually I’d like to see him walking without a frame. It will be a long, slow process, with lots of hard work – but Liam is determined, and we’ll just keep chipping away one step at a time.”

If you’re inspired by Liam’s story of taking more confident steps and you know you’d like to help, please vote next now. We need all the help we can get – and that means you!

Voting is now open until Friday 10 October 2014

Lloyds Community Fund - Vote for Headway Cambridgeshire Now!

If you’d prefer not to vote and you’d still like to support our work, you can make a donation at Headway Cambridgeshire’s JustGiving web page.