Acquired Brain Injury Ireland

Established in 2000, Acquired Brain Injury Ireland (formerly the Peter Bradley Foundation) was set up to provide a range of pioneering, flexible and tailor-made services to people with Acquired Brain Injury (ABI).

The Community based Neuro-Rehabilitation services provided by the organisation place a critical emphasis on client-centeredness, quality, effectiveness and value for money. Rehabilitation and clinical support are key aspects to the service. Approximately 13,000 people suffer from a head injury in Ireland each year and face a dramatically altered life thereafter.

People with ABI progress at different rates, and may need to access services at different points in time as their needs change. Within each stage of rehabilitation a range of different service providers is involved, which must be coordinated. Once back in the community the emphasis is on more extended activities of daily living, integration, and return to work or education.

Interventions focus on enhanced participation, improved quality of life, psychological adjustment and carer stress. ABI Ireland's Concussion Awareness Prevention and Education Campaign aims at educating players, coaches and parents about the signs and symptoms of concussion; while also providing a recommended return to play action play.

Website: http://www.abiireland.ie/

C.R.O.S.S.

C.R.O.S.S. is honoured to be selected by Munster Rugby as a charity worthy of their support for the 2011/2012 season. We are confident that the association with Munster will help us in our mission to support cancer research and improve patient care across Munster and Leinster.

The charity has strong rugby ties since its inception, and has been instrumental in providing dedicated funding for research into the causes and treatment of oesophageal cancer. Recently a national screening program for Barrett's Oesophagus, a known risk factor for this cancer, was initiated with participating hospitals across Leinster and Munster.

By supporting our work, Munster Rugby will play a vital role in the education and training of high quality medical and scientific students in their careers as young cancer researchers. Our aim is to raise funds to invest in critical laboratory equipment to drive translational research projects aimed at the prevention, understanding and treatment of various forms of cancer.

Motor Neurone Research Ireland

Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized primarily by progressive paralysis. There are no effective treatments for MND, and death usually occurs within 3-5 years of symptom onset, which tends to occur in the prime of life. The causes of MND are not well understood. Some forms are genetic, and the condition also occurs with higher than expected frequency in athletes. There is an urgent need for new and effective treatments.

Better understanding of this disease will identify new directions in research, which will in turn help to find new solutions so that MND can be a treatable disease for all sufferers. Ireland is already recognised as a leader in MND research.

For the past 15 years, the clinical work has been primarily based in Beaumont Hospital, with strong links with Trinity College Dublin, and has been funded by the Health Research Board, Muscular Dystrophy America, the American MND Association the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association and the European Framework 7 Programme.

TCD is aiming to consolidate discovery work in MND research and sustain a long-term programme in collaboration with its partners in the US and in Europe.