A charity which helps people affected by brain injury is celebrating the first anniversary of its new base.
The Paul for Brain Recovery Centre, which opened its doors at Wilberforce Health Centre in Hull 12 months ago, has been visited almost 1,000 times and now has more than 100 visits per month.
Of those visits, 150 people have sought one-to-one mentoring from founder Paul Spence and his team of brain injury specialist volunteers, benefitting from ongoing support as they rebuild their lives.
Paul has made a remarkable recovery since his own serious brain injury in 2012, when he was attacked without provocation while out with friends.
Determined to remain positive, he set up the charity three years ago, sharing his experience and knowledge to help others on the road to recovery.
Paul said: “Wilberforce Health Centre is in a fantastic location and is central for anyone in Hull. We are really thankful to have this space on the ground floor because it’s so accessible for people.
“This is the first community-based brain recovery centre and it started from a Facebook page I set up in my living room. It was a timeline of my recovery to give an insight into brain injury and the challenges you face.
“Before I knew it, people were asking me to meet their families and they said I understood. Unless you’ve been through brain injury, you can’t explain it.
“I had the vision for this centre and I’ve had great support along the way. Numbers are increasing week on week and I’m so proud.”
Paul and his team help people at all stages of the brain injury recovery process.
Support ranges from helping brain injury survivors develop a positive outlook and providing physiotherapy and fitness sessions, to support for family members and nutritional advice.
New visitors can be assessed, including looking at their mood, exercise levels, anxiety, hygiene and socialising, and are given their own individual progress file which logs their progress in both body and mind.
Jonathan Ramsey, Estates Manager at Citycare, which owns Wilberforce Health Centre, said the recovery centre is a very welcome addition to the building.
“We are absolutely delighted to have such a successful service in our building, further expanding the offer of the health centre,” he said.
“Paul and his team help so many people and make a significant positive difference to the lives of those affected by brain injury, and we are so pleased they’ve had a fantastic first year.
“We look forward to seeing the centre’s continued growth and wish them many more successful years in the future.”