On 2nd September, Oli Herz and Richard Morrison will leave from East London Headway House at Bradbury House on Kingsland Road in Hackney to cycle nearly 1000 miles to Monte Carlo to raise money for the development of family support and outreach services for those who attend the Headway House.

Headway East London (HEL) is an independent charity which runs a Headway House in Hackney which supports people living with the long term effects of an acquired Brain Injury from across 13 boroughs of North and East London. It is the only brain injury specific centre in inner London and currently provides 125 places per week - supporting about 100 people including about 15 people who drop in on a regular basis. You can find out more about their work at www.headwayeastlondon.org

While much of the work is funded by local authorities and large trusts, it has been difficult to raise the necessary funds to provide support for the families of our brain injury survivors and for outreach services which can work with people in their own homes and communities.

However the new Headway House provides us with sufficient space to be able to support an outreach worker and family support coordinator to build on the work that has been going on for the last year or so. This work will cost around £25,000 each year and we hope to raise at least enough to cover costs for 2008/2009.

Oli Herz was working as a housing manager for a small housing co-op in Camden in 1998 when he was run over by a van whilst cycling home from work and received his head injury.  After a year off work, he went back to his job on a part-time basis, but was unable to manage and had to leave a year after starting back. He got another part time job with the housing department in Islington. However after two years there he was still not managing and was medically retired in 2002. Oli has attended the Headway House for about 5 years, first as an attender and now as a volunteer

Richard Morrison worked in the City as a shipbroker and has been Chairman of the volunteer board of directors Headway East London for the last 6 years. He cycled from Lands End to John of Groats with Simon Williams in 2003 and raised nearly £15,000 for Headway East London

We need you help to achieve our fundraising target and ask that you go to our donations page at www.Justgiving.com where you can make your donation online. We are writing a blog while we travel so that you can keep up with our progress - http://montecarlobybike.blogspot.com/

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Headway East London gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

So please sponsor us now!