EdinburghHeadway.org.uk
Title
Edinburgh Headway Group - Welcome
Description
Who are Edinburgh Headway Group?
Edinburgh Headway Group is a Scottish Charity (SC006528) dedicated to helping and supporting the traumatically head injured, their families and carers. Our premises at the Astley Ainslie Hospital are open Monday to Thursday from 9am to 4pm where we offer a range of therapeutic and rehabilitative activities which span the spectrum from physical fitness to reflexology, tai chi, computing and social activities. We offer advice, information, advocacy, peer counselling and support to our head injured members and their caring relatives. We also operate a befriending service which matches trained volunteers with head injured people so that the head injured can enjoy a social life outwith their homes.
The Group is actively involved in promoting the needs of Head injured people within the community, the ultimate goal being the development of comprehensive services and support for this particular group of disabled people.
Our History
The Edinburgh Headway Group had small beginnings in 1982 when it was inaugurated as a support group for the traumatically head injured, their families and carers. They met monthly on a Tuesday evening at the Astley Ainslie Hospital for a period of about 5 years. Over that time various events were arranged but our big break through came in 1987 when Douglas Miller (then Professor of Neurosurgery at Edinburgh University and our honorary President until his tragic death in 1996) persuaded the hospital management to allow us use of what had been the old hospital restaurant servery. Eventually we were given use of the dining area and finally the coffee lounge. The servery is now the office the dining area the recreation room and the Coffee lounge is now our gymnasium. Since 1987 we have greatly expanded our activities right up until the present day where we provide a wide range of therapeutic, rehabilitative and social activities. We employ an Office Administrator, Befriending and Activities Co-ordinators, a graduate Gym Supervisor, an Adult Educationalist, a Tai Chi teacher and an army of volunteers including Reflexologists, and many others who assist our members to enjoy a better quality of life. Our Honorary President is Mrs Margot Miller the wife of the late Professor Douglas Miller and our Patrons areMr Ronnie Corbett OBE, and the Hon. Lord Emslie.
