Every 30 minutes in the UK a child will suffer a brain injury. These injuries can be the result of road accidents but also falls, illnesses like meningitis, strokes, sports etc. Broken bones and wounds can heal but a brain injury often stays with a child for life and has a devastating effect on the whole family.
The Child Brain Injury Trust is a national organisation with a head office in Bicester. It has connections with 47 hospitals, support workers across the UK, a web site and a 24 hour help line. It exists to raise awareness of the problems caused by brain injury and to provide information, support and training to anyone affected by brain injury for as long as necessary.
The Child Brain Injury Trust also provides a valuable link between the families, schools and hospitals and where negligence in present specialised legal companies. Some of these injury claims can run on for many years until the full impact on the injured person’s life can be evaluated.
Very little money is provided by the Government and has to be raised from charitable donations and special events like Activity Days and Charitable Golf Days.
Mr Tee’s job is to give talks to organisations like Rotary Clubs, organise special events and raise awareness about the whole problem of brain injury in children whenever possible. They raise about £95,000 per annum in this way which does not seem a lot for the size of the task that they have undertaken.
John Brodey