During working in the commerce industry Desiree realised her passion lay with empowering people and providing them with support to meet their full potential. This led her to complete a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Psychology and Information Systems. She then completed a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy and has worked alongside adults with physical and mental health disabilities, people living with brain injury and most recently children with neurodevelopmental conditions. She is currently completing psychology postgraduate studies in advanced social psychology, child, and family as well as clinical neuropsychology.

Desiree believes the whakatauki “He tangata, he tangata, he tangata” sums up her journey so far. “It is the people, it is the people, it is the people”.

February 08, 2021

Back into the swing of things ....

February 08, 2021/ Brain Injury HB

The Education Service is back in full swing this month at Brain Injury HB.

As we head into the first School term of the year, we are getting in touch with all our local Hawkes Bay Schools to invite them to be part of this year’s Concussion Wise programme. This is a FREE programme that we offer to all School’s in HB, please get in touch to book your School!

Have A Go Day is happening on Sunday 21st of this month. This day is all about giving our Tamariki a chance to “Have A Go” at different sports before signing up for the season, we will also be giving tips to keep them injury free, ensuring they can continue to play for many seasons to come! For more info head to our Facebook Event page.

Another exciting event we have coming up is the ‘Our Story’ Art Exhibition. This is happening at the Hastings Community Art Gallery from the 15th- 26th of March. This is a great opportunity to come and check out the amazing work of our talented artists. We will be hosting an open evening on Friday 19th March, come along for drinks and nibbles, keep an eye on our Facebook for more details.

For more information on any of these events or to register for Concussion Wise please get in touch vicki.welsby@braininjuryhb.co.nz, or head to our FB page https://www.facebook.com/BrainInjuryHB

January 11, 2021

Welcome to 2021!!!

January 11, 2021/ Brain Injury HB

Kia Ora Koutou,

Happy new year to you all! I hope everyone has had a good summer break and you’re refreshed and ready for the year ahead. Our services have reopened after a short break, with our peer support groups resuming in the coming weeks.

In delivering our services, our aim is to promote and encourage independence and ownership of the person’s journey following a Brain Injury. We do this through the provision of support, advocacy, and information. We also provide opportunities to participate in social activities, as well as creating links to the community. If you or someone you know are seeking to connect with others on the same journey, one of our support groups might be what you’re looking for. Brain Injury HB host various support groups, both online and in-person.

Katie at the International Day of People with Disabilities

The Hastings Peer Support Group meet for lunch on the last Thursday of the month at the National Service Club. The first lunch for 2021 will be held on 28th January 2021. This is followed by the Taradale Peer Support Group, who meet for coffee starting 11th February 2021. For more information or to register for either of these groups, please contact me on 878 6875. We also host a Whānau support group, where whanau can connect with others who are faced with similar experiences whilst supporting someone with a brain injury. This group runs on the first Tuesday of the month, 4-5pm in our office, and resumes 2nd February 2021. Please contact Debbie for more information on 878 6875. If you would prefer to connect virtually with others who have experienced a brain injury, or with whanau of people who have experienced a brain injury, we also host online groups via our Facebook Group @ Brain Injury HB. These groups provide a safe space for people to connect with their peers, and is designed to help individuals discuss issues, struggles, strategies, ideas and solutions they may be facing in their journey.

Stroke Central Region also hold regular clubs and programmes to improve the lives of those affected by stroke. They hold an online café twice a month as well as support groups in Hastings, Napier, and Central Hawkes Bay. The Central HB support group meets on the 4th Thursday of the month, at the Lily Pond Café, Waipukurau. For more information contact Heather 06 856 8297. The Hastings Stroke Support Group is held on the 3rd Friday of the month at the Red Cross meeting rooms, contact Katie-Ann 06 878 7875 for more information. The Greendale Stroke Support Group meet every 2nd Wednesday at Origin Café, Taradale followed by an outing on the 4th Sunday of the month. For more information contact Colleen on 06 844 8604.

Some upcoming events we’re looking forward to include the annual Wheels on Windsor car show on 14th March, run by the Hawke’s Bay British & European Car Club. Brain Injury HB relies on donations to continue to provide vital services to brain injury survivors along with their caregivers and whanau, so we will be there collecting donations and selling raffle tickets to raise funds for our services, we hope to see you there! This will be closely followed by Brain Injury Awareness Week, which runs from 15 - 19th March 2021. We’re excited to host an art exhibition during our awareness campaign, showcasing the creativity of people affected by brain injury.

Watch this space for updates on our upcoming events of 2021!

Take care

Katie