The Team
We bring a wealth of skills and experience from a wide range of backgrounds
Bella Smith
Committee Member
Bella Smith
Committee Member
Bella worked with adults who had physical and learning disabilities, this is where she met her husband Dave who had already had an acquired brain injury. Due to the nature of her work she had some knowledge of caring for people with brain injuries. Bella is now a full-time carer for her husband Dave and son Harley who is autistic. She feels even though Dave had gone through a lot of his recovery by the time she had met him it was still a learning process and found that both him and her son had a lot of similar traits. Bella has found Headway Salford, Trafford and North Manchester to be a valuable service to enable her to have a few hours respite and give her husband Dave something to look forward too. Headway has provided the family with support and Bella feels being involved with the committee is the best way she can give back.Catherine Davies
Trustee
Catherine Davies
Trustee
Catherine is a clinical specialist speech and language therapist and director of SLT for Life. She has over 20 years’ experience of providing in depth assessment and treatment to clients with acquired brain injuries. Her aim is to empower clients to increase their independence. Catherine enjoys being part of our dynamic committee, she is passionate about supporting clients with brain injuries.Chloe Leonard
Community Support Officer
Chloe Leonard
Community Support Officer
Chloe has recently graduated from the University of Salford with an undergraduate degree in Psychology. Chloe has studied the brain for over five years, completing her dissertation on mental health topics. Chloe has experience of brain injury due to living with a family member who has an acquired head injury. She has supported them to adapt their lifestyle and overcome daily challenges. Chloe joined Headway Salford Trafford & North Manchester at the beginning of 2022 and she is throughly enjoying her role; helping out at the day centre and supporting people in the sessions.Daniel Bamber
Treasurer & Trustee
Daniel Bamber
Treasurer & Trustee
Danny has worked at Prestige Nursing & Care since 2010 when he joined as a franchisee with his brother, Paul. Since joining he has developed the branch from the ground up and they now deliver over 4000 hours per week of care and employ over 180 people. He is passionate about delivering a service that makes other people’s lives easier, be that patients, commissioners, or families. He always strives to be easy to deal with and provide a service that people want to keep on using or come back to. Danny’s company supports lots of people who have an acquired brain injury in the Greater Manchester area. Danny enjoys his role as Treasurer for Headway Salford, Trafford and North Manchester as it is a charity close to his heart.Dave Smith
Committee Member
Dave Smith
Committee Member
Dave left school at 15 and started work as a textile labourer, after just a few years he was training to be a textile chemist when he had a road traffic accident aged 20. Dave was seriously injured and the doctors thought he wouldn’t survive after being in a coma for 12 days. He was one of the first patients to attend the first head injury unit at Buxton Hospital. He had to learn how to do everything again. He spent several years in hospital and after leaving received very little rehabilitation or support. Dave attended his first Headway meeting in 1982. Dave has faced many struggles over the last 40 years but has never let his injuries stop him. Dave is a very active member of the Headway Salford, Trafford and North Manchester group and is thankful of the support he has received since joining. Dave is married to Bella; they have two sons and two grandchildren that they adore. Dave’s hobbies are football and gardening.Gary Herbert
Secretary & Trustee
Gary Herbert
Secretary & Trustee
Gary is a solicitor and brings a wealth of legal knowledge to his role as the secretary at Headway Salford, Trafford and North Manchester, having previously performed the same role for Headway Leeds. Gary has represented adults and children suffering from acquired brain injuries for the last 20 years, and since 2015 he has worked for Potter Rees Dolan in Manchester, a firm specialising in representing clients with acquired brain injuries and spinal injuries. Gary has been able to use his position as partner at Potter Rees Dolan to help Headway members access advice regarding benefits and the Court of Protection. Outside of work Gary is a keen snowboarder, frustrated footballer and Welsh rugby fan, although in recent years, chasing after his two children has taken up most of his time and energy!Kat Whitemoss
Communications Manager
Kat Whitemoss
Communications Manager
Kat has worked in the field of communication and marketing for over 20 years. Kat began her career as a media/press officer at Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council, she then went on to broaden her scope of work in communication via roles within Lancashire County Council. Kat now works on a freelance basis supporting a number of not-for-profit and private sector organisations. Kat is passionate and dedicated, working hard to raise the profile of the organisations she supports. Kat manages marketing, communication and fundraising for Headway Salford and North Manchester.Matt Brown
Trustee
Matt Brown
Trustee
Matt studied Law at the University of Durham before starting his training contract with Irwin Mitchell in 1997, where he continues to work to this day. Matt qualified as a solicitor in 1999 and over the next ten years developed his expertise in catastrophic injury at the firm’s Leeds office, becoming an associate solicitor in 2004. In 2008 Matt moved to Manchester to assist with the firm’s growth and was promoted to Partner in 2010. He now leads a team of solicitors specialising in brain and spinal injury litigation and has an established track record of achieving successful outcomes in difficult and complex cases at trial, with the twin focus of maximising client recovery and prioritising rehabilitation and quality of life in every case. Outside of work Matt enjoys hiking, running, reading, travel, arguing and the work of Bruce Springsteen in roughly equal measure; at least when his two little boys let him!Natasha Wilde
Chair of Trustees
Natasha Wilde
Chair of Trustees
Natasha is a case manager, she supports adults and children who have an acquired brain injury, or who have suffered a catastrophic injury such as an amputation or spinal cord injury. Natasha works with the clients to provide the support that they need to aid their recovery. Natasha is a social worker by profession, she has a background in working in local authority, having worked in both adult social care and children’s services. Natasha is also a practice educator for social work students offering both MA and BA students guidance and supervision through their social work training and then certifying their fitness to practice.Ryan Price
Trustee
Ryan Price
Trustee
Ryan is an occupational therapist, who qualified from the University of Salford in 2014 with a 1st Class Honours Degree, he has since worked for case management and private occupational therapy companies before establishing Heads Up Therapies in 2016. Ryan and the team at Heads Up, primarily work with individuals with acquired brain injuries attempting to provide community integration, build engagement in meaningful activities and improve quality of life. Ryan enjoys thinking outside the box and creating unique opportunities such as hosting an axe throwing event for people with brain injuries. He also runs a brain injury football group, providing an alternate rehabilitation experience through the use of football as well as providing a much-needed social network. Ryan is originally from Salford and is enjoying contributing to the Headway Salford, Trafford and North Manchester group. Outside of work Ryan enjoys playing and watching football, attending concerts and spending time with his wife and two children.Sam Ashcroft
Network Manager
Sam Ashcroft
Network Manager
Sam became involved with Headway over 10 years ago when her friend had a road traffic accident and required support from Headway Blackpool. After volunteering for a number of years Sam applied for and was successful in securing the post of member support officer. Since that time Sam has raised the profile, increased referrals and increased fundraising for Headway Blackpool bringing great success to the group. Sam brought these skills to her additional role with Headway Salford, Trafford and North Manchester in 2019. Her role involves; supporting members with tasks that they may struggle to complete themselves, organising the day-centre sessions and activities, managing the Headway Salford phone-line, organising day trips for members along with the day-to-day running of Headway Salford, Trafford and North Manchester. Sam is an excellent networker with other charities, businesses and organisations, making connections and partnerships with others in order to raise awareness of Headway Salford, Trafford and North Manchester. He skills and experience benefit the existing members and help to encourage greater referrals into the much-needed services.