Glance. The Brain Charity is born... Even more support for carers. Charity Race Night 27th November

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1 Glance National support for all neurological conditions October/November 2015 The Brain Charity is born... See page 2 Even more support for carers See page 3 Charity Race Night 27th November See page 5

2 The Brain Charity The Brain Charity is born. NEW NAME - SAME VALUES Neurosupport relaunched as The Brain Charity at the beginning of September. The name change is part of a brand overhaul to make it clearer to the world outside what it is we do here. The team behind developing our new name and logo, the communications and marketing agency Influential, discovered that many people don t understand what the word neurological means, in further research, most people said that they couldn't tell what we did from our old name. From this starting point, we decided that using the words brain and charity together, with a new strapline: National support for all neurological conditions' would give a clearer idea of who we are and what we do, and so The Brain Charity was born, complete with new logo - a brightly coloured eye-catching brain. Staff and volunteers are so excited about the new logo, merchandise and vibe that the charity now has, we wish to thank everyone for all their hard work so far and to send a special thank you to our CEO Nanette Mellor for her vision & commitment to delivering our new look. We wanted to launch The Brain Charity in style and came up with the idea of doing a fun fair inspired theme complete with coconut shy, bat the rat and skittles. We provided candy floss and ice cream, slushies and hot dogs and of course traditional fish & chips served up in a newspaper printed cones. All the food and drink on the evening was generously paid for by sponsors of the relaunch event, Kevin Edward Costs and with a hundred plus guests attending a great party atmosphere ensued. The evening was completed by inspiring speeches from our CEO Nanette Mellor and new Chair of Trustees Bill Chambers, who both look forward to The Brain Charity s future. Once the light started to fade, all attending went out into the car park for the switch on of our new illuminated sign, which for some was quite an emotional moment after the many months of planning that had taken place to get us to that point. As with all good parties the evening rounded off with dancing the night away and sharing good times with friends old and new to celebrate our new beginning as The Brain Charity. Chair of Trustees, Bill Chambers Gordon & Jojo get the party started 2 Glance - The Brain Charity Newsletter

3 World Stroke Day Event The Stroke Association are joining forces with The Brain Charity to celebrate World Stroke Day this year. The event will be held on Friday 30th October from 10am-4pm at The Brain Charity on Norton Street. In the last 20 years the number of people dying of stroke has halved while the number of major strokes has decreased by 40 per cent. More people than ever are benefitting from cutting-edge treatments and making full recoveries. And more people now understand the need to seek emergency treatment for stroke. The event on the 30th will showcase stroke services and available support for stroke survivors and carers across Merseyside. There will be information from Stroke Association services, Hospital Stroke Units, life after stroke support, interactive sessions on music, art and poetry, talks from health professionals and support available from other local organisations. The focus will be on Life After Stroke, raising awareness of stroke and how you can reduce your risk of stroke. There will be free blood pressure and atrial fibrillation tests available and also a chance to talk to other stroke survivors and carers. This event is free and open to all, light refreshments will be provided. The Brain Charity If you would like further information please contact Stroke Association or The Brain Charity Even more support for carers! The Brain Charity s Carers Advocacy Service is set to grow with a new four year carers advocacy contract funded through Liverpool City Council. Our current service will expand to meet the needs of all carers who care for adults living across the city of Liverpool. We spoke to a new member of the team, John Mather, about the service and the kind of support carers will be able to get. John has many years experience in the sector, but after spending a few years out with illhealth and childcare duties, he took up voluntary work as a way to update his knowledge and skills, most recently with The Brain Charity. As John explains, We successfully won the tender to expand the service with Liverpool City Council and I was taken on as a part-time carers advocate. Demand has been strong and every day is different, but the main aim of my role is to support and sustain caring roles and enrich the development of carers' lives away from caring. Emma Seasman has been working in The Carers Advocacy Service since November 2013 and has already supported many carers with issues such as eviction, arranging flexible working hours and communicating with other support services. Emma said, "In addition to their role as a carer, many of our service users are also dealing with their own health conditions as well as stress, anxiety and isolation. It s great to know that we will now be able to develop our service to support more families to tackle the difficult issues they face each day". If you are a carer and think you will be able to benefit from the service, please call us on or info@thebraincharity.org.uk to find out more. The City of Liverpool The Brain Charity Glance - The Brain Charity Newsletter 3

4 Helping secure compensation for brain and spinal cord injuries Cassell Moore understands that brain and spinal injuries are amongst the most devastating of all injuries. There are many causes of brain and spinal injuries including blunt trauma, penetrating trauma, whiplash type effect (movement of the brain within the skull), disease, medical negligence and strokes to name but a few. The impact of even a relatively minor injury can have far reaching consequences, however the most severe brain and spinal injuries are sudden, unexpected and often life-changing, affecting not only those unfortunate enough to be injured but also those closest to them. At Cassell Moore we know the impact that such injuries can have on individuals and their families. Our dedicated and personable team are on hand to offer you a free no obligation consultation during which we can provide you with a clear assessment of your case. It may be that you, like some of our clients, believe you don t have a case worth pursuing. We have acted for many clients whose first thought was exactly that, however following our instruction we were able to identify issues which enabled us to prosecute a claim for the benefit of the injured party. Our priority is to ensure that the injured party can commence rehabilitation as soon as possible, which in turn will help them return to independence and lead as much of a normal life as possible. We provide all of our clients a tailor-made service to suit their individual needs and circumstances and we work closely with medical and non-medical teams to achieve the best possible outcome. We work on a No-Win, No-Fee basis so will never ask you to meet any of our costs from your damages. Our team are experts in achieving regular multi-million pound compensation awards, which provides our clients with life-long financial stability. Furthermore, the service you receive goes beyond the acclaimed personal injury representation. We have expert lawyers who can assist you with family issues, employment issues, disability rights issues, and after settlement of your case, acting as a Professional Deputy of the Court of Protection. For a friendly no obligation chat, call Paul Breen or Natalie Clarke on: or paulbreen@cassellmoore.com or natalieclarke@cassellmoore.com Alternatively visit: 4 Glance - The Brain Charity Newsletter

5 CHARITY RACE NIGHT Come along to our first fun-filled Charity Race Night at The Brain Charity! Get Confident for Life and Employment The Brain Charity has a new course starting this November. It will help you be more confident and at ease in a range of situations, including job interviews. The course will run from Tuesday 3rd November at The Brain Charity, 10am - 3pm, for five weeks. For further information and to book your place, please contact John Perry on or john@thebraincharity.org.uk We're under starter's orders from 8pm. Friday 27th November Doors open 7pm There will be the usual race night mix of excitement and laughter, with fully licensed bar & soft drinks, lots of prizes, awards for best dressed racegoers and much more! Tickets are 5, including buffet, from The Brain Charity reception, or from our website. Get yours early as demand is sure to be high. BRAIN HAEMORRHAGE SUPPORT GROUP (BHSG) Have you had a Brain Haemorrhage? Do you know someone whose life has been affected by a Brain Haemorrhage? Then why not come to the Brain Haemorrhage Support Group's meetings and meet other people who have shared your experiences. You do not need to be a member of this group to attend and you can also bring a relative or friend with you. The Brain Haemorrhage Support Group's AGM, with special guest speaker, will take place at The Brain Charity, on Tuesday 27th October pm. If you would like more information about the group, please phone or Contact number: or bhsupport@live.co.uk Glance - The Brain Charity Newsletter 5

6 Do you have epilepsy or support someone who does? Help develop a course on seizure first aid. Epilepsy researchers at the University of Liverpool are working to create a seizure first aid training course for people with epilepsy and their family and friends. They have started to make the training course and now want to hear what those affected by epilepsy think about it. They are looking for volunteers to go along to one of the practice courses they will run in November. The course lasts about 3 hours and people can bring a friend or relative with them. After taking the course, participants will be asked what they thought of it. Everyone who volunteers will receive a 10 shopping voucher to thank them for their time and effort and, if needed, travel expenses. The study is not for everyone. To take part, patients need to have had epilepsy for one or more years, be prescribed anti-epileptic drugs, be aged 16 or over and have visited a hospital A&E department at some point in the last few years for epilepsy. You will also need to live in the North-West as the courses will be run in Liverpool. Free membership of Listening Books audiobook library service The national charity Listening Books runs an audiobook library service for adults and children who find it difficult to read or hold a book, giving members access to thousands of audiobooks on MP3 & CD, as well as downloads from their website and through online streaming. The library boasts a wide range of titles, including those of best-selling authors such as JK Rowling, Philippa Gregory, Marian Keyes, Jacqueline Wilson and James Patterson. Listening Books is currently able to offer a number of FREE memberships to people who would find the usual membership fees of 20 to 45 per year a barrier to joining. To apply for a free membership, please contact Jo Cord Tel: or jcord@listening-books.org.uk You can also apply online by visiting and ticking the box to apply for a free place during signup. If you would like to take part, or have any questions, you can get in touch with the research team by phone: seizure.firstaid.project@liv.ac.uk 6 Glance - The Brain Charity Newsletter

7 Do You Need a Room for a Meeting or Conference? Why not book one of The Brain Charity's modern meeting rooms and help support our activities? All income raised from our room hire goes directly to underpinning the vital work we do supporting people with neurological conditions. The Brain Charity provides the best in up-to-date and accessible rooms for hire. We can accommodate groups of 2 to 100 people and are fully equipped with the latest in audio-visual & multi-media technology. Our building is centrally located with good transport links. We offer on-site parking for facilitators and Blue Badge holders, and there is ample Pay and Display parking across the road. To find out more, contact Chris Wall, by meetings@thebraincharity.org.uk or tel: We ve launched our new website! It can be found at it's bolder, brighter and more user-friendly. We will be constantly updating the news section of the site to keep you informed about what we're doing and there s a whole new events calendar section that you can access to see upcoming classes, functions and events; so you ll be able to plan your social diary well in advance! There'll be lots of up-to-date information about conditions, plus a new community forum where users can post messages and share experiences. We also now offer an online booking service for our room hire which will make booking a room far more convenient as it will be running 24 hours a day and you will be able to easily tailor your booking to your own specifications. We want our new website to respond to the needs of our users and would welcome any feedback about what you think we should be including, its ease of use, and whether we re on the right track. Glance - The Brain Charity Newsletter 7

8 THE BRAIN CHARITY CALENDAR October 2015 November 2015 Fri 2nd Parkinson's UK Support Group 2-4pm Carer Advocacy Drop-In 2-4pm Mon 5th Tea, Coffee & Company Morning, pm Alzheimer's Society Support Group 2-4pm Tue 6th Craft Club, 10:30-12pm Wed 7th Art Class pm Merseyside Spinal Injury Group 3-5pm Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Support Group 5-7pm Fri 16th Migraine Peer Support Group 1-3pm Carer Advocacy Drop-In 1-3pm Mon 19th Alzheimer's Society Support Group 2-4pm Sat 24th Dystonia Support Group 12-2pm Mon 26th Brain Tumour Support Group 1-4pm Tues 27th Craft Club pm Brain Haemorrhage Support Group, AGM, 7-9pm Thurs 29th Epilepsy Action Liverpool coffee and chat group, 11am-12.30pm Fri 30th World Stroke Day Event, all welcome, 10am-4pm Mon 2nd Tue 3rd Tea, Coffee & Company Morning, pm Alzheimer's Society Support Group 2-4pm Confidence Building Course starts, 10am-3pm Craft Club, 10:30-12pm Wed 4th Art Class pm Merseyside Spinal Injury Group 3-5pm Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Support Group 5-7pm Fri 6th Migraine Peer Support Group 1-3pm Parkinson's UK Support Group 2-4pm Tue 10th Tuberous Sclerosis Support Group 10-12pm Craft Club, 10:30-12pm Thurs 12th Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) Support Group 1-3pm Tue 17th Craft Club pm Fri 20th Migraine Peer Support Group 1-3pm Mon 23rd Brain Tumour Support Group 1-4pm Thurs 26th Epilepsy Action Liverpool coffee and chat group, 11am-12.30pm Sat 28th Cavernoma Support Group 10-3pm About The Brain Charity The Brain Charity offers practical and emotional support to people with neurological conditions and to their families, friends and carers. For more information contact the Centre or visit our Website: Get Social with us: thebraincharity f thebraincharity You can also find us on: The Brain Charity The Brain Charity, Norton Street, Liverpool L3 8LR Tel: Fax: info@thebraincharity.org.uk The Brain Charity is registered as a charity (No: ) and a company limited by guarantee in England and Wales (No: ) Glance is available in large text or braille on request. Glance is available on The Brain Charity website: If you wish to be added to the Glance mailing list, please contact our Information and Advice Officer using the telephone number or above. The Brain Charity does not necessarily share all of the views or opinions expressed in Glance.