SALLY was lost.

She had been a capable and independent woman with a worthwhile, if demanding, job.

But her life changed when she was assaulted at work.

She suffered a brain haemorrhage, leaving her with an enduring injury.

Once discharged from hospital, she caught the train home, on her own, with just a bag of food.

She lived alone and had no family to watch out for her and once home she found she could no longer cope with the demands of everyday life.

Her brain injurymeant she could not process information, she had memory loss and had lost her confidence.

Even mundane tasks such as shopping and cleaning were beyond her.

She was lost in her own world.

Sallywas thrown a lifeline by the charity Headway Essex. The group helps the survivors of brain injuries and their families, offering emotional and practical support.

In addition to its support workers, care officers and day centre staff, it works with experts including occupational therapists, social workers, physiotherapists and GPs.

Headway chief executive Joanne Wright said: “The brain controls everything we do and is who we are. Brain injuries are for life, the brain will not repair.

“However, we can introduce strategies and understanding which can lead to an improved quality of life.”

This year, the charity is marking its 30th anniversary. In the early days, the then Colchester and North East Essex Headway was run by volunteers who raised funds at a monthly street collection.

By 2013/14, the group’s total income topped £660,000 and a total of 446 individuals had received support – 256 brain injury survivors and 190 carers, or family members.

The charity is still small in the grand scheme of things with just 18 staff supported by 50 volunteers.

Joanne said: “We are a small charity, but with a big attitude.”

The charity grew quickly. In 1987, it leased a two-bedroom bungalow in the grounds of Severalls Hospital where its day centre opened for two days a week with one employed part-time co-ordinator supported by volunteers.

Five years later, the day centre was open five days a week with the centre doubling in size the following year.

Joanne joined Headway in 1997 as the charity’s first full-time fundraising manager.

She said: “We were based in a Portakabin in the grounds of the day centre, but we had no profile.

“The board agreed we could lease the building in Colchester town centre. It was a risk, a leap of faith, taken in the hopes of raising more funds which could push the service forward.”

The charity moved into its office off Head Street in April 1998 and in 2000, the charity changed its name to Headway Essex.

“There was so much demand for the service outside north east Essex,” Joanne explained.

In 2001, services were introduced allowing workers to provide emotional and practical support on a one-to-one basis.

They help to explain to clients how their brain injury has affected their life – why they are tired or have irrational outbursts of anger, why processing information is difficult.

Joanne said: “It is a question of understanding and managing the brain injury and helping them and their families understand the changes.”

A Lottery Grant in 2005 allowed Headway to increase the size of the day centre and add more facilities such as the vital Life After Brain Injury groups and carers support group.

The demand is ever increasing.

“It is not unusual to be contacted by people who suffered a brain injury 30 years before and have had no support,” Joanne said.

“They can become isolated.

Friends and families fall away because the survivor is not the person theywere before, their memory and their personality may have changed.

“It is incredibly difficult for the survivor and those close to them.”

Joanne said the grassroots support of fundraisers was vital.

The charity is well known for its quirky fundraisers such as the Onesie Runsie and Colour5k paint run. Each has raised not only funds but awareness of the charity.

As the group marks its 30th birthday, there is no doubt it is needed.