The inaugural Hats for Headway event that we ran this year was overall a great success.  

The National Council fundraiser Blackout for Brain Injury had been scheduled for the Friday after  the tragic events at the Christchurch mosques. As a mark of respect the day was cancelled because of its timing. Earlier we had sent out a lot of resources, posters videos and links to local schools in the Auckland area. 

Instead, we changed the theme of the event to emulate the successful Hats for Headway fundraiser that is now well established in the UK and so we used the same date as UK on the 24th May, two months after the original event scheduled by the National Council brain injury. As expected, this fundraiser suffered from a grand lack of prior announcement and publicity. Nevertheless, one school in particular took it to heart and made a wonderful day of it namely St Kentigerns Girls School which raised $257 and equally one business in Highbury Birkenhead, Toogees Hair Design, also entered into the spirit of the occasion and raised $72.   

On the Hats for Headway day, 24th May, we invited a number of people to a barbecue here at Headway House. This also provided an opportunity for the singing group, which only started 8 weeks before, to perform to an audience. If everyone makes it to the group, there are about 12 or 13 singers. They are wonderfully and professionally conducted by our singing director and coach Emma. All together there were 51 people here including the singers and it was very pleasing to see a lot of friends and family of the people in the group here to encourage their new found talent. We also raised over $230 in donations. I am unable to break the figures down further to establish if the donations were primarily in appreciation of the songs or the sausages and salads. It was a lovely day.

Stephen Jenkins
Manager, Headway:Brain Injury Auckland