A PIANO, a tennis racquet and a traditional English phrase provided inspiration for a brain injury charity’s hat themed activity day yesterday.

Headway, based in Faraday Road, held their annual Hats For Headway event for 77 service users complete with a sports inspired theme.

Users had two weeks to customise baseball caps supplied by the charity with an impressive display of colourful creativity on show at the final judging

The top prize of chocolate and a multi-coloured wig was won by Adrian Ellis, whose ‘feather in your cap for Headway’ design impressed judges.

Centre manager Jane Weston said the chosen theme resonated with the charity’s purpose.

“We are Swindon Town’s chosen charity for the year and we want to raise awareness of protecting yourself against sporting injuries such as concussion. Sport is fun but it can also be dangerous so you need to help yourself out when you can.”

Debi Pullen took the third prize for her 3D tennis racquet decorated hat. She has been visiting Headway twice weekly for five years, after she sustained injuries in a moped accident in 2009.

Debi, who lives in Rodbourne, said:

“Everyone has been really excited for this and we all really get into the theme each year. This is the first time I have won anything in the competition so I am really happy.

“I wanted people to see how injured you can get if a tennis racquet comes down and whacks you on the head, that was what my design was about.”

“Headway have been a lifeline for me throughout my recovery and I have made so many good friends as a result of coming here. They have given me the confidence to do things that I had forgotten how to do such as cooking and the staff are fantastic, nothing is ever too much trouble for them.

Headway chair Anna Cole was on the judging panel and said she was impressed with the skill demonstrated by the service users.

“We were looking for originality and a bit of humour and we certainly got that. We had a piano decorated cap with music notes on it that was very impressive and the standard this year was so high, we are very proud.”

Following the competition, all 77 hats were hung from the ceiling to decorate the day room.

Headway Swindon supports brain injury survivors, their families and carers across the region. To volunteer for or donate to the charity visit headwayswindon.org.uk