The provincial government is providing $3 million to the Brain Injury Alliance to support community brain injury associations throughout B.C., Health Minister Terry Lake announced today.

“This funding will help support brain injury survivors to lead full and rewarding lives as they manage the challenging cognitive and physical effects that stay with them well after the incident that caused their injury,” said Lake. “These important programs and supports benefit not only survivors but their families as well.”

The alliance will distribute the funding to non-profit community brain injury associations across B.C. to support various programs and services, including homelessness prevention, outreach programs and education programs for people living with a brain injury. Funds will also go towards targeted education and injury prevention programs including for those who are inmates of provincial corrections facilities. More than 180,000 British Columbians live with acquired brain injuries, with an estimated 22,000 new brain injuries occurring every year.

“Today’s announcement means that that people who have suffered a brain injury will continue to be able to access supports in their community,” said Kamloops-South Thompson MLA Todd Stone. “I know from speaking to colleagues from across the province that the impact of local brain injury associations is significant; locally, I’m grateful for the dedicated efforts of the Kamloops Brain Injury Association and the positive impact it has on local survivors.”

Today’s funding announcement adds to the $3 million of provincial funding, which was provided to the Brain Injury Alliance in 2015. Previous provincial funding also included $1 million to the alliance to help it create an endowment named the Dr. Gur Singh Memorial Education Grant. Dr. Singh was a long-time Kamloops neurosurgeon, past president of the B.C. Medical Association (now Doctors of BC) and philanthropist who raised more than $1 million for the Kamloops Brain Injury Association. The annual grant program supports survivors to participate in education and employment training.

“We thank the government for this funding as it is sorely needed by those with brain injuries, their families and supporters,” said Dr. Henry Harder, president of the alliance. “The Brain Injury Alliance is ideally positioned to distribute the funds where it is most needed – in fact, that is its only purpose.”

Founded in 2014, the Brain Injury Alliance aims to improve the lives of people living acquired brain injuries in British Columbia. It advocates for adequate and sustainable funding for brain injury prevention, education, and individual supports provided by community non-profit brain injury services.

Learn more:

Brain Injury Alliance: http://braininjuryalliance.ca/