Staff
- Miriam Lantsbury - Chief Executive
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Born in London, Miriam trained as a General Nurse at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel. She has a commitment to the local community in Tower Hamlets and has worked in a variety of community settings including Community Nursing, mediation, youth work and as an officer in the Community Health Council.
In 1997 Miriam was employed by the Headway East London Management Committee to set up the Headway House in East London. Over the last ten years, the service has developed from an empty room into a thriving day service running five days a week, providing support to around 90 people with a brain injury. She enjoys the variety of her job and is inspired by the people who make up Headway East London’s very special community.
- Anthony Bonfil - Manager
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Tony returned to the UK in 2002 after 15 years working in agricultural research in Australia. He has a degree in Social Sciences and manages the Headway House on a day-to-day basis, giving direction to the other coordinators and driving the development of services. He particularly values helping the people who attend the centre to work on new ways of tackling issues in their lives. These may be financial, family, housing or other benefit problems, all of which can hold back a person's ability to move on. "Even the smallest improvement means a lot", he says.
- Ben Graham - Psychologist
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Having held a number of posts at the centre, Ben is now responsible for the research going on at Headway East London - trying to explain what it is the organisation does, and develop evidence about how well it works. At the moment he is working on papers about the co-production model used at the centre. With the help of the University of East London and the New Economics Foundation, he hopes HEL can become a model of how community services can include their users as collaborators and experts in their own right.
- Lorna King - Co-ordinator (Attender Funding)
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Lorna is recently returned from maternity leave. She works on the floor every Tuesday with the attenders, and spends every Wednesday working in the office. One of Lorna's main responsibilities is organising the waiting list and arranging assessments. She enjoys the atmosphere at the centre and is happy to be spending more time on the floor with the attenders.
- Michelle Carlile - Co-ordinator (Art Activities)
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Michelle moved to London from South Africa in 1999. She volunteered with Headway for 4 years before becoming a team member in 2005. She is an artist who loves to share her passion with others and particularly to see the joy it brings when someone discovers their own creative ability. Headway occupies a special place in her heart. The strong sense of community among both the staff and attenders makes her feel fortunate to be a part of it.
- Rupert Spiers - Team Co-ordinator
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Rupert was born in New Zealand, but grew up in Edinburgh before coming to live in London. He has degrees in Psychology, English Literature and IT. Rupert loves working at Headway East London; it remains challenging, surprising and no two days are ever alike. For lunch this week he has mostly been eating cheese sandwiches.
- Sandra Duffy - Co-ordinator (Personal Care Support)
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Sandra moved to London with her husband at the beginning of this year. She has always had a keen interest in working with people and has many years experience of working in both the Health and Social Service sectors in Wales. Sandra is looking forward to living and working in London which she is sure will be quite different to the rural area of Wales that she has been used to.
- Liz Wingrove - Administrator
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Liz returned to university to study Psychology after having her three children and graduated in 2005. She ensures the smooth running of the centre, answering the phones, chasing invoices, booking transport and welcoming the attenders. She is impressed with how optimistic and happy everyone is at the Headway House - even on Monday morning.
- Alex Street - Music Therapist (part-time)
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After a brain injury, people may have difficulty using gestures and words to communicate. Alex helps people to use music to reconnect with themselves and those around them. He trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and has a degree in Music Therapy from City University.
- Adina Thomas - Exercise Therapist (contract)
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Adina has a degree in Health & Fitness and teaches in leisure centres and charities across East London. She enjoys working with people from all walks of life, each with a story to tell. She finds that her clients at the Headway House are really motivated to improve their health and well-being.
- Nadia Applegate - Neuro Physiotherapist
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Nadia has been qualified as a physiotherapist for five years. She has always had a keen interest in neurological physiotherapy and finds working in this area the most challenging and the most fun. Nadia works to improve and maintain the attendees' mobility and movement. She enjoys working at Headway East London as everyone is very keen to improve their ongoing physical goals.
- Philippa Paine - Co-ordinator (Volunteer Support)
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Philippa grew up in a Buckinghamshire village but has lived in East London since the late seventies. Over the last twenty odd years, she has raised her two children and worked in various roles in a Jewish community centre, mainly with elderly people. She has volunteered in a variety of settings such as running a youth football club in Hackney and more recently at Crisis U.K. At Headway, she is responsible for supporting volunteers and is enjoying the welcoming atmosphere within the centre, getting to know everyone, generally mucking in and learning more about brain injury.
- Amanda D'Souza - Clinical Consultant
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Amanda has worked as a Speech and Language Therapist for over 12 years: with Adults with Acquired Brain Injury, and also in Mental Health. She has worked in hospitals and in the Community, and currently works part time as a Speech and Language Therapist for a regional Community Neurological Rehabilitation Team. She recently completed an MA at UCL in Cognitive Linguistics, with a special interest in Aphasia. Amanda has also worked in Emergency Housing, and has additional qualifications in Counselling, and in Medical Anthropology.
Amanda is very pleased to be working with Headway East London, and has been employed as a Clinical Consultant. This involves some Advocacy work, and development of Peer Support and Carers Support. She used to volunteer for Headway East London before this, and has always enjoyed the sense of community in the Centre.
- Sarah Kearns - Co-ordinator (Member Administration and Wood Green)
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Sarah joined Headway East London in August 2007. She previously worked for a GP surgery in Bethnal Green as a receptionist and clinic administrator. During this time Sarah volunteered for Headway one morning a week. At Headway Sarah is responsible for practical support such as assisting in the assessment and review process and supporting attenders through advocacy, advice and information provision.
- Anja Lange - Yoga Therapist
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Anja joined Headway as a yoga teacher in 2006 and has since been working weekly with several attenders. She teaches yoga to people of all walks of life - at Headway, in gyms and private classes. She has been practising yoga for more than 10 years and has done several trainings and qualifications in yoga [and bodywork]. She is currently studying for a BSc in Ayurvedic Medicine (a sister science to yoga). "The attenders at Headway are enthusiastic and inquisitive and to me they are great teachers. I find it a privilege to share what I have learned in my continuing yogic journey."
- Tina Greenhill - Counsellor
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Tina joined Headway in January 2008. After completing her psychology degree she spent 5 years working with adults with learning disabilities and then qualified as a counsellor after finishing her MSc in 2005. She has worked as a psychotherapist in various settings including a GP surgery, private psychiatric hospitals and a charity providing counselling to survivors of abuse. Tina is now fully accredited with the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). At Headway she provides one-to-one counselling, psycho-educational groups and relaxation sessions for attendees. She thoroughly enjoys working at Headway because there is such a warm, positive and relaxed atmosphere.
- Christina Nettleford - Outreach Co-ordinator
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Born in Wolverhampton but raised in Hackney (opposite the Headway premises!). I have a degree in Human Communication Sciences from UCL and have always wanted to work at Headway. It’s like a great big beautiful spaceship! With almost twenty years' experience of frontline children’s, older person’s and adult mental health services, I really enjoy assisting our attenders in resolving issues such as housing, debt, access to benefits. I also offer advocacy and information for carers. I am responsible for our new satellite service (Headway House Wood Green). I am enjoying seeing the progress of this new service and look forward to bringing the service to full capacity.
- Co-ordinator (Attender IT) -
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Vacant
- Community Fundraiser -
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Vacant
- Silvana Calzavara - Craniosacral Therapist
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Silvana was inspired to train as a Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapist In 2000. She began working within a primary school treating children with behavioural and emotional difficulties. She has assisted with anatomy training. She has also been involved in treating traumatised survivors of the London bombings and those affected by terrorist attacks. Her practice has grown over the years, and today she works as a supervisor in a clinic for craniosacral therapy students. She has been working for some years at a hospice providing therapy to the terminally ill as well as treating adults with acquired brain injury at Headway East London.
- Sarah Jowers - Finance Administrator
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I walked into Headway House on the day of my interview and my reaction was wow! Everyone seemed so cool and welcoming. I could not tell who were staff and who were attenders. I still get that “wow” feeling each day I come in. The people here are amazing, I feel like I’ve been working here all my life.
- Michael Rose - Grants Fundraiser
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Following many years in electrical retail and mail order, including selling electronic bugging equipment to the world, several years ago Michael made a career change into charity fundraising. His first post was raising funds for under 5’s pre-schools which he found great fun. His fondest memory was appearing as Father Christmas at a pre-school’s Christmas party and not being recognised by any of the children. Joining Headway, Michael is now finding he’s having as much fun, thanks both to the attenders and the staff members.
- Dean Harding - Media Officer
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Dean was injured in 1998 and is passionate about using his experiences to raise awareness of brain injury. He is the only representative on Headway East London’s board who has been an attender and now volunteers for the charity (he hopes more will follow suit). As the Volunteer Media Officer Dean helps to generate publicity through local newspapers, radio and TV. Dean has ambitious goals and one is to run the 2010 London Marathon, so watch this space!
- Karen McCarthy - Family Support Worker
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Karen worked as a nursery nurse until she gave up work to have two children. Her husband had a brain injury in 1998 and he has attended Headway every week since 2000. When approached by Headway to help with carers' support, Karen thought it would be a chance to give something back to Headway for all their support. After experiencing the consequences of brain injury in her family, Karen is keen to help other carers who are going through similar experiences. It is always good to talk to someone who understands what you are going through.
