WORCESTER will be the venue for the first ever ‘Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Games’ this summer thanks to a £50,000 National Lottery cash boost.
Headway Worcestershire won a share of £385,000 earmarked for communities in the West Midlands to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June.
The world first games will see people with ABIs taking part in a series of sporting events testing their physical attributes and building on their life skills, creative abilities and cognitive awareness.
With local schools, colleges and universities being invited to take part, this will raise awareness of ABIs in the wider community
The inaugural ‘Queen Elizabeth II Games for People with an Acquired Brain Injury’ is in response to what the charity sees as an injustice within sport, as people experiencing ABIs are unable to compete in the Paralympic Games if they show no obvious physical disability.
Mandie Fitzgerald, chief executive at Headway Worcestershire, said: “The Acquired Brain Injury Games will provide a fun way to acknowledge the wonderful skills and talents of the people we support, while also ensuring adults with an acquired brain injury know about the valuable support Headway Worcestershire and other charities offer in the community.
“We would like to say a heartfelt thanks to the National Lottery Community Fund for helping us stage this event as part of our Platinum Jubilee celebrations, and for giving us the opportunity to educate and inform the wider community about the impacts of an acquired brain injury.”
The games are among 92 community projects across the country to receive a share of £4.5million in lottery cash, eight of which are in the West Midlands.
The Platinum Jubilee weekend will also be celebrated with the Big Jubilee Lunch from June 2 to June 5.
Part of a two-year programme of activities supported by £2.3million of National Lottery funding, this Jubilee-focused version of the annual Big Lunch event will bring thousands of communities together and help people celebrate the Platinum Jubilee while getting to know their neighbours.
Grants of up to £10,000 from The National Lottery Awards for All programme – which gives out almost £80million of National Lottery funding in all parts of the UK each year – are still available for community-led events throughout 2022
Visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk for more.
