Follow us: hu Improving life after brain injury Need to talk? 0808 800 2244 Donate Home About brain injury Individuals Brain injury and me Josh Rawson Share your story Share your story with us to help others affected by brain injury Josh Rawson I am extremely grateful and thankful for friends and family who have contributed to my donations page Introducing our very first Strava fundraiser... Josh Rawson knows all too well the devastating impact a brain injury can have on entire families. In 2015, when Josh was 23, his mother Michelle died from a ruptured aneurysm. “It came as a complete shock that someone who shined so brightly could be gone so quickly with no notice,” said Josh. “It was through researching what a brain aneurysm meant that I found Headway, who undergo the wholesome endeavour of supporting those with similar injuries or trauma to mum. I have ever since kept them on my radar and would love to continue supporting people in similar circumstances.” With a keen admiration for outdoor walking and the continued Covid-19 lockdown having an impact on his mental health, Josh decided to take on a fundraising challenge for Headway, walking 100km over 30 days to support the charity. In the process, he became our first fundraiser to link his JustGiving page with the Strava app, a popular system that allows people to track their activity with a phone, smartwatch or fitness tracker. Josh explained: “I loved the technology of this as I was able to have my totalled distance add up through my donation page instead of having to manually record it. “It was rewarding to see analytics at the end of a walk such as your route, pace, and distance, along with the challenges the app offers you to join up with. “The thought of being able to help people in a similar situation was also great for motivation, as it felt good being able to give back when options were limited in lockdown. “I am extremely grateful and thankful for friends and family who have contributed to my donations page, as the final amount reached over double my original target!” Asked what advice he would give to anyone thinking of starting a fundraising challenge, Josh said: “Definitely initiate a challenge which is obtainable and can be broken down to a daily routine if possible. This stops it from being overwhelming and means that ‘catching up’ can be done if you are unable to contribute on some days. Make sure it’s something you can have fun with if you’re doing it a lot - I caught up with a lot of music and podcasts, which I was very happy with! Back to stories index Bored at home? Get FUNdraising! The online fundraising website JustGiving has introduced a range of exciting new features which make it simple to set yourself a challenge or organise a digital event from home. Find out more Fundraise for us Find out more Running Find out more Friends of Headway Individual membership Join/Renew Contact Us t: 0115 924 0800 e: enquiries@headway.org.uk Help us improve life after brain injury. Donate Improving life after brain injury 0808 800 2244 Call our free helpline 9am - 5pm, Monday to Friday. Or email helpline@headway.org.uk Join our online Community 27k Likes 25k Followers 3k Subscribers Privacy policy Cookies Terms & Conditions Accessibility Contact Us Resource centre Find a Headway Approved care providers Charity shops Fundraising comments, feedback and complaints Vacancies Join our mailing list Headway - the brain injury association is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (Charity no. 1025852) and the Office of the Scottish Regulator (Charity no. SC 039992). Headway is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England no. 2346893. © Copyright Headway 2021 - Site designed and developed by MEDIAmaker By clicking 'Accept All Cookies’ you agree to the storing of cookies on your device. This will help us to offer the best possible experience and develop more of the information you need. Accept All Cookies Cookies Settings