Brain-injury charity awarded £158,000

HUNDREDS of young Oldhamers with brain injuries are to get more support - thanks to a Lottery windfall.

The Centre for Brain Injury Rehabilitation and Development — BIRD — has received £158,677 to be used over the next four years.

The charity runs a programme in Oldham to help youngsters aged 7-11 with communication, behaviour and learning difficulties.

Individual programmes are prepared for each child, whose relatives are taught how to interact using touch, speech and physical closeness to boost neurological development.

The Big Lottery funding will enable BIRD to work with around 200 local schoolchildren over the next four years. The Chester-based charity first started its work in Oldham after Andy Dickinson, head teacher St Joseph’s RC Primary School in Shaw, saw the possibilities.

He said: “I became aware of BIRD’s work which was usually with children with profound difficulties but I thought it had the potential to help children aged 7-11 in mainstream school but experiencing difficulties of one kind or another.

“The improvements in behaviour, communication and academic performance have been amazing to see.”