Headway Suffolk’s 12-hour drumming challenge raises £500 to go towards teams of clinicians

Clients and staff from Headway Suffolk took on a 12-hour drumming challenge to raise money to continue funding its team of clinicians.

The charity, which supports people who have brain injuries, neurological conditions or who suffered stroke, held the fund-raising challenge across two days at its Ipswich hub on Monday and the Bury St Edmunds hub on Tuesday from 7am to 7pm.

Clients, staff and members of the public helped keep up the drumming for the duration and in total £500 was raised to go towards funding its occupational therapists, mental health nurses and physiotherapists.

Helen Fairweather, CEO of Headway Suffolk, said: “The clients really enjoyed it. It was a really good two days. Lots of clients took part and members of the public joined us as well which was fantastic. So far we’ve raised £500 which is great. People can still donate.”

About 50 people took part in total, with 15 staff and clients drumming at the Bury hub based in Olding Road.

Helen said it was vitally important for the charity to fund-raise for the clinicians as those roles were no longer funded through a National Lottery scheme.

“It’s really important that we have money to spend on our clinicians because they are vital to the work that we do,” she said.

She explained that the mental health nurse helps clients with poor mental health and who may be struggling to cope with how their brain injury has changed their day-to-day living, as well as helping families come to terms with behaviour changes in their loved one.

While the physiotherapists help people become mobile again, and the occupational therapists help people be able to do day-to-day tasks again like getting dressed and making a cup of tea.

The clients enjoyed the drumathon so much the charity hopes to organise a Christmas concert.

To donate, see here.

For more information visit the Headway Suffolk website.