Lincolnshire woman nominated for national award for her commitment to brain injury survivors

Inspired by a devastating attack on family member

A woman who leads an East Midlands brain injury charity ‘almost single-handedly’ is
being celebrated with a nomination for a national award.
Ann-Marie Smith, 45, has worked at Headway Lincolnshire as Coordinator and
Development Officer for 13 years, and in that time has gone ‘above and beyond the
call of duty,’ to help develop Headway Lincolnshire into the charity it is today.
Starting with just 12 hours funded per week, Ann-Marie built the brain injury support
service and secured funding for her full-time position, as well as for an additional part
time member of staff.
She is now up for the national Extra Mile Award, for Headway staff across the UK – a
brand-new accolade celebrating staff at the Headway Annual Awards, held each
year in London.
Ann-Marie was nominated by Community Development Worker, Sue Lindridge. Sue
said: “Ann-Marie is one of the kindest, caring, most thoughtful, understanding and
supportive people I have ever met, and a lot of people would be lost without her.”
Ann-Marie found herself ‘thrust’ into the world of brain injury many when a close
family member was attacked. Since that time, she has worked tirelessly to help
improve the lives of others in the same situation that her and her family found
themselves in.

Sue said: “Ann-Marie has experience of caring for a family member with an acquired
brain injury and understands the constraints and impact on the individual’s life and
their extended family.”
“She’s approachable, extremely caring and supportive. She does everything in her
power to improve the lives of others.”
Headway – the brain injury association supports a network of independent local
Headway charities and volunteer-run branches throughout the UK providing
rehabilitation and support in their local community.
Due to Lincolnshire being a large county with limited transport links, it is not viable to
have a Headway Lincolnshire day centre.
Therefore, Ann-Marie travels around the county covering miles to reach out to those
in need of support. She has set up and maintained support groups in Boston,
Lincoln, Grantham and Spalding, which run once a month and are supported by a
dedicated team of volunteers.

Sue explained: “The support groups offer peer support and face to
face contact, reducing feelings of isolation and loneliness amongst
acquired brain injury survivors, their families and carers.”
“She also supports brain injury survivors to articulate the impact of their injury to
health and social care professionals, enabling them to receive support from the right
services to meet their individual needs,” Sue added.
Ann-Marie has put in ‘countless’ volunteer hours to support Headway Lincolnshire,
raising ‘thousands’ every year through sponsored walks, Christmas fayres, race
nights and charity balls.
Ann-Marie’s dedication to Headway Lincolnshire and brain injury survivors across
the East Midlands has led to her to becoming one of just three finalists for the Extra
Mile Award at the Headway Annual Awards, celebrating the commitment of staff to
improving the lives of brain injury survivors and their families and carers.
The accolade, sponsored by law firm Irwin Mitchell, will be presented by Headway –
the brain injury association at its glittering awards ceremony on December 5 at the
JW Marriott Grosvenor House in Mayfair.
Victoria Stevenson, from the Headway Lincolnshire’s Board of Trustees, said: “Ann-
Marie battles through everything with strength, compassion and empathy and is truly
the heart of Headway Lincolnshire.’’