Digby Brown annually hold a competition for those living with an acquired brain injury (ABI) to submit pieces for their calendar and Christmas card.
As in previous years the judges for the competition, which has been running for seven years, were very impressed with the entries received and found it incredibly difficult to pick the winners.
This year the entries submitted were so impressive that in the end two winners were chosen for the Christmas card.
Each of the winning entries received a £20 M&S voucher, a copy of the card and calendar, a certificate as well the charity they submitted the entry though receiving a cheque for £200.
This year’s ceremony was a little different from the usual ceremony in Glasgow due to lockdown. A virtual ceremony was arranged instead with the guests receiving an afternoon tea delivered to them at home.
Chris Stewart, Head of the Serious Injury Department at Digby Brown, hosted the event and congratulated the winners as well noting the new ways that support groups were overcoming the new challenge that COVID-19 had presented for the support for ABI survivors.
Annmarie Rocks, CSR Manager at Digby Brown, said: "Every year we are proud to work alongside such amazing charities, support groups and individuals as we create our cards and calendars and this year we were truly blown away by the standard of entries – and there were almost 100 of them!
“While giving back matters we are also glad to be able to offer brain injury survivors a creative outlet as a way to express themselves in ways that traditional methods can't fullfil.
“Lockdown restrictions may have led us to change our annual winner’s celebration but it doesn’t mean we can’t still celebrate – so thank you to everyone who entered, congratulations to the winners and I hope everyone has the best possible Christmas and New Year.”
A total of 200 cards and 500 calendars were produced and have now been sent to more than 135 recipients across the ABI welfare network.
The winners for the Christmas Card and 2021 Calendar are:
Christmas Card Winners
Gillian Taggart – Abi’s Café (external card)
Donnie McHarg – Headway Glasgow (internal card)
2021 Calendar
Cover – Patrick Kavanagh – Headway Ayrshire
January – Quincy McGarrie – Headway Ayrshire
February – Fionna Balfour – Headway East Lothian
March – David Dower Thomson – Individual entry
April – Hazel Mann – Centre for Brain Injury Rehabilitation
May – Karen Boyle – Fife Headway
June – Lynne Whitton – Centre for Brain Injury Rehabilitation
July – Steven Walker – Headway Glasgow
August – Patricia Whyatt – BIEN Group
September – Roseanne Sinclaire – Astley Ainsley Hospital
October – John Dalling – Centre for Brain Injury Rehabilitation
November – Karen Danks – Headway Ayrshire
December – Scott Hutchinson – Edinburgh Headway Group