March 13th, 2023 marks the beginning of Brain Awareness Week, and Scottish Cycling Apparel Brand, Endura, has marked the occasion with the creation of helmets depicting the real-life post-injury CAT scans of riders who have suffered a traumatic brain injury. Through use of such graphic imagery, Endura hopes to raise awareness of the importance of wearing a helmet, a pursuit of huge importance in the UK when you consider that almost half of cyclists (45%) in Britain admitted to not wearing a helmet when they ride.1
1 OnePoll 2023: Survey from Endura taken of 2000 regular cyclists in the UK
Endura’s Project Heid
Endura has created Project Heid alongside Consultant Neurologists from Liverpool and in partnership with The Brain Charity; four helmets have the CAT scan representations of four real-life brain injuries from cyclists transposed upon them. Ian Charlesworth’s brain scan is depicted one of of these helmets, as is the brain scan of John Moroney, who was hit by a 4×4 in Bristol in 2019 whilst cycling without head protection.
We are told that both cyclists came close to losing their lives, suffering skull fractures, brain injuries and neurological abnormalities such as haemorrhage and contusion as a result. This has led to extensive rehabilitation programs and ongoing cognitive impairment struggles which include memory loss, fatigue, and vertigo. The one-of-a-kind helmets are intentionally provocative, quite literally showing the potential consequences if you choose to ride unprotected.
When asked about his involvement in the campaign, Ian Charlesworth said: “Prior to my accident, it wasn’t on my radar to wear a helmet. You never think a serious incident will happen to you, but I’m living proof that it can, and having gone through what I have, I’m desperate for people to wear a helmet to stay safe. The level of detail of my brain scans on the design left a real impression on me that I hope will resonate with others. It feels really good to be involved in such an important initiative.”
Speaking on the launch, Noah Bernard, Brand Director from Endura, comments: “We understand the importance of ensuring that more people on Britain’s roads and trails are wearing helmets, and we want to encourage the entire cycling community to do so. Ian and John’s accounts are eye-opening reminders of the risks too many cyclists continue to take, and we thank them for bravely helping us to raise awareness with their incredible stories.”
Project Heid coincides with Brain Awareness Week, a global event that takes place throughout March. Once the project has been completed, the helmets will be auctioned to raise money for The Brain Charity to continue its incredible work.
The wider partnership with The Brain Charity includes Endura’s headline sponsorship of the Head Matters event, taking place on Wednesday 15th March 2023 in Liverpool. The helmets will also be displayed at St Enoch shopping centre in Glasgow on Friday 17th March 2023, to raise awareness further.
