Our History

In 1987 Mrs Ann Hempsall and friends at Ancaster Day Centre started Headway Lincoln after Ann suddenly found herself in a caring role following her husband’s brain injury for which she received no help and support. The branch committee would meet at Ancaster Day Centre and in 1993 Joan Hatcliff who was a manager at the centre welcomed only handful of people to the head injury group. Hazel Cooper, Landlady of the Millers Arms on Lincoln High Street became involved in fundraising for the branch and in 1994, The Information and Resource Room based at Ancaster Day Centre was officially opened and a group met there twice a week.

After Joan left, Jo Fereday became involved and worked tirelessly for many years developing Headway Lincoln. The group moved from The Information and Resource Room to a separate bungalow and Jo worked with Don Fraser to run a drop-in session there twice a week. She also started a bi-weekly group in Spalding in the Shaw Trust Building, liaising with Kathy Lord at Allen House in Boston where another head injury group was set up which took place every Tuesday. Jo ran the branch helpline, worked with the consultant at the head injury clinics and was often the link between hospital and social services on discharge, visiting patients in their own homes providing support and advice. Sadly in 2000 Jo decided to resign from her role because of family health problems and the pressure that was put upon her due to the fact that professionals within Health and Social Care were becoming more and more reliant on her input and expertise to provide support that should have been their responsibility.

Mary Read took over the chairmanship and Lorna Stevens became treasurer of the branch and membership continued to grow, so much so that a drop-in was re-started in Lincoln in conjunction with social services and Mandy Shipman was the volunteer who ran this successfully for several years.

The branch became a registered charity in 2013, and currently has groups in Lincoln, Spalding, Boston and Grantham as well as community support given by the Coordinator & Development Officer (CDO) and the charities volunteers. The current Trustees of the charity have a wealth of brain injury experience between them.