A BRAIN injury charity based in East Lothian has celebrated 20 years of supporting survivors in the county.
Headway East Lothian SCIO has been offering a range of support services since 2004 for people following their injuries.
Joyce Cattanach, development officer, has been a part of this effort for 17 years.
She said: "There just wasn’t anything available in East Lothian to support individuals who have experienced a brain injury.
"The group started very small as a meeting for a coffee and a chat, before growing with support from local health services into the wonderful community it is today."
To commemorate the milestone, an event was held at Port Seton Community Centre on August 19.
Nearly 80 community members attended the party, which featured talks by Richard Crosse, Katy Lamb, Christine Maclean and Dottie Wallace.
Mr Crosse spoke of how his role in the social work department of East Lothian Council led to conversations with Edinburgh Headway about the lack of services for brain injury survivors in East Lothian.
He said: "I was delighted to attend the 20th anniversary and to have made a contribution to the setting up of the group, which is the easier part.
“The much harder task is to build and sustain it for two decades and to meet the needs of local people in doing so.”
The group organises activities based on rehabilitation techniques that are accessible to all abilities with a mixture of cognitive and physical activities.
Ms Cattanach, the only employee, said that she had an "amazing team of volunteers".
She said: "It is truly remarkable to see how the charity has grown, and what it means to so many people, not just our brain injury survivors but their family, friends and wider community circles.
“It means that we are doing a good job, that our work is reaching people and is considered worthwhile by so many; our referral partners, our community partners and our funders who have been so generous with their time and support.”
Paul McLennan, East Lothian MSP, said: "Those impacted by an acquired brain injury generally have their lives turned upside down and inside out by a rapid change in circumstances.
"It’s incredibly important to have such a specialist organisation able to work with those affected, building back their confidence and skills."
Colin Beattie, Musselburgh MSP, added: "For two decades you have provided hope and support for those affected by brain injury and their families."
Ms Lamb, treasurer at Headway East Lothian, characterised the group as person-centred and welcoming, while service user Fionna Balfour called the event a "joyous occasion".
Ms Cattanach added: "Our community are just that, a community of friends who feel that they belong to the group.
"We don’t have an exit strategy for people, they can come along and keep in touch for however long they need us in their lives."
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