A Galway facility that helps people affected by brain injury unveiled its new training kitchen last week – thanks to the fundraising efforts of two women inspired by their late husband and father respectively.

Supporters, clients, and staff came together to celebrate the official opening of the new state-of-the-art training kitchens at Quest Brain Injury Service in Liosbán Business Park.

The new facility has been made possible due to the tremendous efforts of Mina McNamara and Aisling Loftus, and the many friends and members of the community who have supported their fundraising activities over several years.

Mina McNamara raised over €23,000 across three years from the annual 8km Paul McNamara Memorial Walk Fundraiser, as a tribute to her husband Paul who passed away suddenly from a brain aneurysm in 2022.

Aisling Loftus raised over €17,000 on behalf of her dad, who had availed of Quest’s services in 2023 after brain surgery. Aisling ran the Galway Bay Half Marathon in her Leaving Cert year, in appreciation of the support her family received from the service.

Their hard work went towards providing the training kitchens which have been meticulously designed to enhance independent living and to support skills development for the clients who attend the brain injury support service, many of whom present with diverse needs.

Quest, part of National Learning Network, serves people with histories of Traumatic Brain Injury, Stroke, brain tumour, Hypoxic Brain Injury and Brain Infection by providing rehabilitative training programmes to adults with an acquired brain injury (ABI) to help manage day to day difficulties, to maximise their independence, and support return to work, meaningful activity and education.

Quest manager Patrick Hannon told guests at the launch that the charity was ‘beyond thrilled’ to celebrate the launch of the new training kitchens, which, he said, would have wide-ranging benefits for our clients.

“We want to sincerely thank Mina, Aisling, and all of the people who donated and participated in the fundraisers,” he said.

“Their generosity will go on to make such a difference to people’s lives, and to their families’ lives, in the years to come. It’s truly an achievement for the community as a whole,” he added.

Quest Brain Injury Services is located at Unit 9A Liosbán Business Park, Tuam Road, Galway, H91WP9A. The service accepts referrals from medical teams, rehab services, and GPs, as well as self-referrals, of adults with a diagnosed ABI, that is without comorbid substance misuse and not neuro-degenerative, from Galway, Mayo, or Roscommon. To find out more, email quest@nln.ie or call: 091 778 850.

Pictured: Aisling Loftus and Mina McNamara at the official opening of the new kitchen facility at the Quest Brain Injury Services building in Liosbán.