Our Story
From a small support group to a thriving charity serving hundreds of families across Plymouth.
Headway Plymouth was born from a simple observation: that brain injury survivors in our community needed somewhere to turn for support, understanding, and hope.
What started as weekly coffee mornings in borrowed community spaces has grown into a comprehensive support service, helping hundreds of individuals and families navigate life after brain injury.
Our journey has been shaped by the courage of our members, the dedication of our volunteers, and the generosity of our supporters. Every milestone we've achieved has been possible because of people like you.
Our Journey
Key moments in our history
Foundation
Headway Plymouth was established by a small group of volunteers who saw the need for dedicated brain injury support in the Plymouth area. Starting with just a handful of members, we began offering weekly support groups.
Charity Status Achieved
We received official charity status (Registered Charity No. 1149256), allowing us to expand our fundraising efforts and apply for grant funding to grow our services.
New Premises
We moved to our current home at the Jan Cutting Healthy Living Centre in Beacon Park, giving us dedicated space to run our programmes and welcome more members.
Lottery Launch
We launched the Headway Plymouth Lottery, providing a sustainable income stream to fund our services while giving supporters the chance to win weekly prizes.
Adapting to COVID-19
When the pandemic hit, we quickly adapted our services to continue supporting our members through phone calls, online sessions, and socially-distanced activities when restrictions allowed.
10 Year Anniversary
We celebrated a decade of service to the Plymouth community, having supported over 2,000 brain injury survivors and their families since our founding.
Expanding Services
We continue to grow our services, adding new support programmes, increasing our volunteer team, and reaching more people who need our help across Plymouth and Devon.
Financial Transparency
We believe in being open about how we use our funds
| Year | Total Income | Expenditure | Lottery Income |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023/24 | £145,000 | £138,000 | £52,000 |
| 2022/23 | £128,000 | £121,000 | £45,000 |
| 2021/22 | £112,000 | £105,000 | £38,000 |
| 2020/21 | £95,000 | £88,000 | £28,000 |
Full accounts are available on the Charity Commission website
Growing Together
Thanks to the support of our lottery players and donors, we've been able to expand our services year on year. The lottery alone now contributes over £50,000 annually to our charitable work.
This sustainable funding allows us to plan ahead, invest in new programmes, and ensure that brain injury survivors in Plymouth will always have somewhere to turn.
Lottery Growth
86%
increase since 2020
Members Supported
2,000+
since 2012
Be Part of Our Story
Join the hundreds of supporters who make our work possible through the Headway Plymouth Lottery.