Maria tells her story of volunteering at Headway Nottingham, how she benefitted from her time supporting our clients and how her experience encouraged her to dedicate her career to improving life for people effected by brain injury.

"I started volunteering at Headway Nottingham whilst at was at the University of Nottingham studying Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience. I have always been interested in a career in neuropsychology and really wanted to gain valuable experience working with people rather than always learning from a textbook. Volunteering at Headway confirmed everything I thought about a career in neuropsychology, it was rewarding, fulfilling, and challenging all at once.

"Headway Nottingham really is a family, the support offered by the team here is exceptional and it is clear how important this service is to the individuals who attend the rehabilitation centre. I enjoyed my experience here so much that when my bus was cancelled, I wasn’t deterred but instead chose to walk the first 40 minutes to the next bus stop to remain a part of the Headway family.

"I learnt so much about working in a client-centred approach, caring for people and showing compassion to everyone. These are values I have carried forward in my professional career working as a Senior Mental Health Care Navigator and within a Memory Assessment Service.

"Finally, thanks to my experience with Headway Nottingham I feel I have come full circle and will be beginning a new role with Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Trust in the community brain injury service as an assistant psychologist. Headway showed me exactly where I wanted to be and what I wanted to do to make a difference to individuals who have been affected by brain injuries and I can’t thank the team enough for being the start of my journey into a career Neuropsychology."