The Ihezie Foundation and the Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust have worked together collaboratively for over 5 years, to provide unique opportunities for local people who are rehabilitating from head and brain injuries. This long and meaningful partnership has had a life changing impact on the many volunteers who have joined the programme.
The Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust provides a range of support services for anyone who experiences difficulties following a head injury or an acquired brain injury. One of the important focus areas of the Community Head Injury Service is helping adults return to work. This may involve a combination of individual work and specialist group programmes, for example a work preparation group, community vocational rehabilitation activities, job club and a placement support group.
Supporting this programme by offering work placements for volunteers has been very rewarding for the Ihezie Foundation and the individuals taking part. Some head and brain injuries can have an extended recovery period where the individual is unable to work for some time, this can lead to job loss, decline in confidence and mental health. The volunteers play an important role in helping the Ihezie Foundation to sort and categorize the hundreds of thousands of books that are donated to the charity. There have been many positive outcomes from the work the volunteers carry out whilst working for us, including; new friendships, new jobs, renewed confidence, enhanced wellbeing and more book donations to schools.
The positive impact that has resulted from this programme is immense, not only have the participants benefited, but the work they have done has helped the Ihezie Foundation process more books and be in a position to donate more books to schools.
Michael Bloedorn, Managing Director of the Ihezie Foundation said ‘The Foundation aims to help improve literacy through the donation of books, and we are honoured to help even more people by actively encouraging volunteers to do a placement that will support them in getting back to work. We have been so impressed with the standard of work delivered by the volunteers, that to-date we have offered permanent jobs to two former volunteers.’
Martin Hillier, Placement Consultant at the NHS Community Head Injury Service said ‘We are always looking for partners to provide work placements that support the recovery of our clients, and we are pleased to place clients with the Ihezie Foundation, as we know they will have a positive experience. We’d like to say a big thank you for all the support they have given us and the volunteers’
The Ihezie Foundation has been inspired by the volunteers who have helped us to help others. They have overcome immense adversity and are still keen to make a positive contribution to the wider community. It has been a real pleasure working with them and we look forward to continuing our partnership with the Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.
According to Aloysius Ihezie, the Founder of Ihezie Foundation, “We are at our best when we come together to build a better world by providing freely to those requiring assistance, Ihezie Foundation will continue to be a beacon of hope to its immediate community and the wider world”