Helping someone return to a much-loved sport, recognising when they need a break or understanding needs they cannot express: kindness takes many forms in brain injury rehabilitation.
The NR Times Awards 2026 kindness in brain injury care shortlist celebrates three finalists who demonstrate how compassion and clinical expertise can work together to make a lasting difference.
This special award recognises an individual or team who goes out of their way to ensure people feel valued, understood and supported throughout their journey.
This year’s shortlisted nominations show how listening, patience and a commitment to understanding the person can shape outstanding care.
About the sponsor
The Silverlining is a community where people affected by brain injury come to heal, connect, and grow.
For nearly 20 years , we’ve supported people affected by brain injury -not just in recovery but rediscovery.
Founded on kindness, creativity, opportunity and shared hope we support survivors and their families through a vibrant mix of online activities, local meet ups, and purpose driven projects.
Whether you’re looking for support, inspiration, or a place to belong – The Silverlining is there for you.
“Kindness Changes Everything.”
Kindness in Brain Injury Care Award Shortlist
Joicy and the Hothfield team
For Wendy and her family, moving to Active Neuro Hothfield following a severe stroke meant trusting a new team when she could not communicate her needs verbally.
Staff took time to understand her, manage her pain and build a rehabilitation programme around her needs.
Her physiotherapist, Joicy, carefully observed her expressions, movements and responses, recognising when to encourage her and when to pause.
Wendy arrived needing a hoist and two staff for transfers. Twelve weeks later, she walked out using a tripod stick.
Her nomination highlights the compassion of a whole team and the importance of knowing how far to challenge someone while helping them feel safe.
Laura Buttimer
Clinical specialist occupational therapist Laura Buttimer of The Children’s Trust, recognised that returning to Jiu Jitsu meant far more than exercise for 16-year-old Jake following brain tumour surgery.
It represented friendship, confidence, routine and identity.
Working with Jake, his family, physiotherapy colleagues and his coach, Laura developed a carefully graded return that balanced his ambitions with fatigue management and safety.
By discharge, Jake was completing an hour of graded Jiu Jitsu each week.
A year later, he was attending three weekly sessions and aiming to return to competition.
Reach Personal Injury’s specialist neuro-occupational therapists bring rehabilitation into clients’ homes and communities, adapting support around their circumstances, priorities and daily challenges.
Its nomination describes helping a client with mild traumatic brain injury and functional neurological disorder who feared losing his senior leadership role.
Through carefully paced therapy, collaboration with his wife and employer, and practical strategies, he returned fully to his role and felt more like himself.
Together, these finalists demonstrate how kindness can help people rebuild confidence, reconnect with what matters and feel understood throughout rehabilitation.
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