Our aims

In 1998, Beverley Pettifar asked Anthony Strong, the surgeon who had operated on her husband twice, how her family could support the neurological unit of Guys’ Hospital. As a result of that conversation, HeadFirst was founded with the following aims:

• To fund and promote research into head injuries, stroke and associated brain damage.
• To “pump prime” projects which might attract support from other funding bodies in the field.
• To purchase research equipment and help with the salaries of research staff
• To make major grants to programmes at the forefront of stroke and head injury research.

In support of these aims Headfirst has raised more than £350,00 over the past 10 years. Contributions have come from a wide range of sources and activities with particularly important donations arising from the entertainment work of Miss Cheryl Baker and from the grateful patients of Professor Strong.

The charity is somewhat unusual in that it has no premises to pay for nor salaries. No trustee has ever claimed personal expenses and the absolute minimum is spent on administration, the cost of which is more than met by interest on capital. This means that every penny donated by well wishers goes to the charity’s aims.