It could happen to you, it could happen to any of us ….
Mr Toastmaster, fellow Toastmasters and most welcome guests.
You are all fortunate enough to be sitting there this evening with the knowledge that you have a brain in good working order. But that could all change dramatically overnight, it could suddenly change without warning.
Toastmaster Chris, imagine you are driving home tonight and you suddenly swerve to avoid hitting a cat which has run out in front of your car, you end up hitting a brick wall at high speed and being flung through the windscreen, your head crashing to the ground.
And Toastmaster Leonie, you could be cycling home, without a care in the world, reflecting on your success this evening, your concentration is poor and you fail to see the lorry that you crash into head on at the traffic lights. Because you left home in a rush, you forgot to wear your cycle helmet.
And our kind Toastmaster Arthur has offered to climb a tree and retrieve a ball for his young son, only the branch breaks and he crashes head first to the ground.
If any of those terrible scenarios were really to happen, the chances are you could all end up suffering a brain injury, your life would suddenly change for ever. These are fairly typical examples of what happened to adults who attend a unique centre called Headway Cambridgeshire, which provides rehabilitation for adults with an acquired brain injury. It also offers advice and support for their devastated families.
I am a new trustee of this excellent organisation, whose future sadly hangs in the balance as it is being forced to quit its premises in Mill Road, Cambridge by the local Primary Care Trusts. They have to sell the site to help pay off their huge debts and a new base is desperately being sought by Headway.
The Cambridge centre has 62 members from the county, people who once led normal lives like you and me. They are now given professional, supportive and loving care by dedicated staff and volunteers. This includes using special techniques to stimulate their brain, helping them to read and write, encouraging them to work on a computer, participate in arts, crafts, drama and music, as well as improve their fitness level. They are encouraged to live as normal a life as possible.
In case you think it couldn’t possibly happen to you, just bear this in mind:
· More than 1 million people a year attend A & E hospital departments in the UK following a head injury
· Every year 1 in 300 families in the UK is affected by a devastating brain injury
· The major causes are road accidents, falls and accidents at home or work
· People aged between 15-29 are 3 times more likely to sustain a brain injury than any other age group
· And men are 2 to 3 times more likely to suffer this than females. This figure astonishingly rises to 5 times more likely in the 15-29 age group.
Now how many fans of Dr Who and Casanova do we have here? The great British actor David Tennant, who played those two roles, will soon reinforce the crucial messages behind brain injury when he stars in a moving BBC1 drama called Recovery. He plays the role of a building manager who sustains a life changing brain injury when he steps out in front of a passing car after going out for a drink with a friend. David Tennant spent time with members of Headway Essex to find out first hand what brain injury is all about it. Do watch it this if you can, it is being screened later this autumn, though we are still waiting to be notified of the date..
There are more than 100 Headway groups in the UK. I feel very privileged to be able to help by raising their profile in. As a result, they have been featured in the local press, as well as on the radio and TV. As a trustee, I also contribute towards making decisions on the management and future plans of Headway Cambridgeshire.
The members I have met are truly inspirational, they do not pity themselves or their tragic situation, they only want to do the best they can. It feels very humbling to talk to them and befriend them. I will never forget their moving rendition of Freddie Mercury’s hit “We Are The Champions” which they sang on their last Open Day. And indeed they are great champions.
If you would like to know more about this excellent organisation, then please introduce yourself to their charming Chief Executive Kate Lewis who has come along this evening as my guest and is sitting….
My conclusion is simple, please remember, it could happen to you, it could happen to any of us, do take great care on your way home tonight, and everyday too … Mr Toastmaster
8th August 2006
