After a period in Local Government, Baroness Cumberlege was appointed to Chair of the Brighton Health Authority and subsequently the South West Thames Regional Health Authority where she made radical changes to mental health services. She was ennobled in 1990 and in 1992 was appointed a Junior Health Minister. For five years she covered all health matters in the House of Lords and chaired a review of community nursing which initiated nurses being able to prescribe and become registered prescribers. She was commissioned by two Governments to produce national reports entitled ‘Neighbourhood Nursing – a Focus for Care’ and ‘Changing Childbirth’.

Baroness Cumberlege is a governor of Lancing College and is patron of the National Childbirth Trust, an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, a Vice President of the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwives. In 2020 she led a major NHS review of maternity services and the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Review for the Government.

Jennie trained as an NHS manager. Her own passion is to create partnerships and easy access, seamless support linking statutory and voluntary providers. She has developed innovative, integrated care services and ground-breaking new-build homes and centres offering community support for personal health, wellbeing and respite. Jennie was previously CEO at Carers Support West Sussex.

She would like to bring together everyone involved with Headway in a county-wide membership charity offering easy access support. Also to give members and carers a stronger voice and to lobby for far greater understanding of brain injury across Sussex.

John is an experienced financial professional with a background in business including within a facilities management and a health care provider organisation. He has worked in Financial Controller and Manager positions and is committed to providing high quality financial management information and advice. He joined us in July 2021 as a move to work within the voluntary sector. At Headway he oversees production of financial and management accounts and supporting the Board Finance Committee.

John is enjoying managing Headways client services invoicing and his involvement in directly liaising with the staff team and with clients, carers and professional partners. He aims to continue to improve our processes and the personal service we can offer.

Claire joined Headway in March 2014. Her background is as an Occupational Therapist and she has extensive experience working within the NHS, Adult Social Care, education and independent practice.

Claire has a particular interest in supporting reablement of people with a range of neurological conditions including brain injury. She has been committed to driving forward the role that Headway can play in enabling and supporting individuals and their families to engage in meaningful and purposeful occupations.

Andy joined the Headway team in September 2019. He has worked as an Operational Manager for many years within Health and Social Care and more recently for Age UK. His focus is on developing new and existing services that are meaningful, inclusive and welcoming to the wider Headway community.

Andy’s aim is to ensure we provide person-centred delivery, listening to the voice and lived experience of people accessing our services, and using their views to shape the support on offer. Working in partnership with key organisations, groups and through ongoing development of the Headway team of staff and volunteers Andy hopes to continue to improve the quality of service Headway strives for.

Sam was first involved with Headway as a service-user and has since moved on to work for the charity. Sam brings us invaluable personal insight and perspective particularly in the experience of people after discharge..

He is now running the Brighton Support Group and our Headway Sussex Futures Group and expanding our online groups via Zoom and our face to face groups to reach an increasing number of participants.

Sam is a Trustee at the UK Acquired Brain Injury Forum and is keen to promote greater understanding of brain injury.

He is completing his MSc in Health Promotion at the University of Brighton and has focused his dissertation study on return to work after brain injury.

Michaela has been a counsellor for 8 years. Having volunteered for Headway over 6 years she has strong understanding of the impact of a brain injury gained through interaction with clients and family members. She specialises in biography work, bereavement and topics related to brain injury.

Michaela comments that in the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity. People can change their destiny. Everyone given the right conditions and circumstances has an innate tendency towards positive growth. The role of Counselling and Psychotherapy in moments of difficulty is to provide support to discover opportunities and create new narratives for life.

 She practices in East Grinstead, Forest Row and Newick and can offer phone, online and face to face counselling.

Gill is an experienced BACP accredited counsellor and group facilitator and has worked with Headway since 2011.  She has personal and professional understanding of managing the challenges of acquired brain injury and works with both clients and family carers. Her voluntary work with Headway achieved a national Headway award in 2019.

Gill works holistically and creatively, incorporating various trainings such as Biographical Counselling, Anthroposophic Psychotherapy (holistic understanding) and EMDR (Eye Movement Therapy).  Her work includes counselling people who have experienced trauma; life-changing events; loss; anxiety; depression; long-term chronic illness; and anybody who feels ‘stuck’ and is looking for a new direction.

Gill works in Brighton but can offer online and phone counselling more widely.

Pete holds a BSC with Honours in Person-Centred Counselling. As a Headway volunteer for 3 years he gained understanding of the impact of a  brain injury. He also has personal and professional experience of mental health challenges.

Pete volunteers within the wider charity field supporting people living with or recovering from cancer and family and friends affected. He has also had training and experience counselling clients with addiction issues.

Pete practices in Newhaven and can offer phone, online and face to face counselling in the area.

A person-centred Counsellor with over 21 years of working experience. Specialist in neurological rehabilitation and brain injury both acquired and traumatic. Offering focused counselling with a view to clients reaching their full potential and enablement.