The Brain Charity

Self-employed Phillip found himself living on less than £5 a day after the lockdown closed his business overnight and he faced long delays before receiving Universal Credit.

As his living costs piled up, he became very concerned his precarious financial situation would worsen his psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES), a neurological condition he has had since childhood.

After discovering The Brain Charity’s phone befriending service online, Philip was given emotional and practical support by our staff, who spoke to a local food bank on his behalf to arrange vegetarian food parcels.

Phillip said: “I was just hanging on – I basically had nothing.

“I knew the stress could exacerbate my seizures. They come unannounced and can be debilitating.”

Through The Brain Charity’s phone befriending service, Philip was able to set up a Zoom account so he could attend our weekly virtual coffee mornings.

This helped him feel less alone during the COVID-19 lockdowns. 

Philip added: “I can’t thank The Brain Charity enough.

“There is nowhere near enough humility in the world and that is what the Brain Charity showed me.

“It is heart-warming to see potentially vulnerable people have a form of community they are made to feel more than welcome in.”