Brain injury can challenge every aspect of your life – walking, talking, thinking and feeling – and the losses can be severe and permanent. It can mean losing both the life you once lived and the person you once were.

We all think 'it will never happen to me', but every year around 350,000 people are admitted to hospital with an acquired brain injury.

That's one every 90 seconds.

A brain injury can happen to anyone, at any time. When it does, we're here to help.

Headway is the UK-wide charity that works to improve life after brain injury by providing vital support and information services, including:

• a freephone helpline (0808 800 2244, helpline@headway.org.uk);

• a comprehensive award-winning website containing information and factsheets on all aspects of brain injury (www.headway.org.uk);

• an award-winning range of booklets and publications designed to help people understand and cope with the effects of brain injury;

• an emergency fund to assist people dealing with the financial implications in the immediate aftermath of a brain injury;

• a Brain Injury Identity Card to help in everyday situations and if you come into contact with the criminal justice system;

• Headway Acute Trauma Support (HATS) nurses to support families whose loved ones are in the acute stage of care following brain injury;

• a directory of approved residential homes, rehabilitation units and respite facilities specialising in ABI.

The charity also lobbies for better support and resources to be made available to people affected by brain injury and works to raise awareness of brain injury and the devastating effects it can have.

Local support

In addition to the services shown above, a network of Headway groups and branches across the UK. like ours in the Bath area, provides a wide range of services including rehabilitation programmes, carer support, social re-integration, community outreach and respite care to survivors and families in their own communities.

Headway's local groups and branches work hard to raise funds at a local level to continue to provide and develop the services they offer.