An artist and survivor of traumatic brain injury from Buckinghamshire has been honoured with a prestigious national award for her dedication to supporting others with similar experiences.
National Recognition for Local Advocate
Lorna Collins, a 43-year-old from Amersham, received the Alex Richardson Achiever of the Year Award from the UK's leading brain injury charity, Headway – the brain injury association. The award was presented during the charity's annual ceremony, held this year at London's five-star Royal Lancaster Hotel. Unable to attend in person due to speaking at a brain injury conference in Australia, Lorna joined the event via a video link to accept the award, which is sponsored by law firm Slater & Gordon.
A Life Transformed Through Creativity
Lorna sustained her traumatic brain injury (TBI) at the age of 18 in the year 2000, when her horse tripped during a training session, causing her to land on her head. In the years following the accident, she developed several psychiatric illnesses and continues to live with the hidden effects of brain injury, including fatigue, anxiety, dizziness, and brain fog.
When asked about her win, Lorna expressed profound gratitude. "I am thrilled, delighted and so grateful to have won this award," she said. "It turns my brain injury on its head; as a result of winning the award, all the trauma and torment I have experienced have become something life-affirming and creative."
Turning Experience into Action
As an artist, writer, filmmaker, and arts educator, Lorna channels her lived experience into advocacy and support. She founded and leads 'A Creative Transformation' (ACT), a research project and practical service that uses artistic creativity to aid people with brain injuries. She has collaborated with multiple Headway centres across the UK to develop creative opportunities for survivors, including co-creating a film with clients at Headway Surrey.
In May, Lorna also played a key role in Headway UK's annual Action for Brain Injury Week campaign. The campaign's theme, 'On a good day', focused on the fluctuating nature of life with a brain injury, and Lorna bravely documented her own daily routines to illustrate both the challenges and triumphs.
Nominators described her as a "role model" and "complete inspiration", praising her "courage, strength and determination in working to help others."
"The Alex Richardson Achiever of the Year award represents so much for the organisation I lead," Lorna added. "The ACT community are the real winners. There is so much more that we can achieve and do now."
Luke Griggs, chief executive of Headway UK, commented: "Lorna has used her personal experience of brain injury, and the struggles that come alongside it, to help others and show them that there is life after brain injury. It’s inspiring to see her tap into creativity, sharing with fellow survivors that being creative – be it art, dance, music, writing – can be a useful tool and aid recovery."
