BRAIN HEALTH BREAKTHROUGH IS A Disability Confident Employer
💚 A Message from Karen Haworth, Founder of Brain Health Breakthrough CIC
What I’m most proud of at Brain Health Breakthrough CIC is the inclusive culture we’ve built — where lived experience isn’t just acknowledged, it’s at the heart of everything we do.
Every member of my team lives with a disability, reflecting the very community we serve — and that, I believe, is our greatest strength.
I’ve always believed in the inclusion of every ability, whether visible or hidden. That belief has shaped a transformational working culture — one that empowers each of us to thrive, not in spite of our conditions, but because of the mutual understanding and support we offer one another.
By embedding lived experience into every layer of our organisation, we’ve created a flexible, compassionate environment that recognises fluctuating health and truly meets people where they are, every single day.
Together, our team is developing a workplace culture that prioritises reasonable adjustments, making employment sustainable, inclusive, and empowering for people with energy-limiting conditions. Our flexible model reduces stress, supports wellbeing, and optimises productivity — proving that when people are supported, everyone benefits.
Jane Colbourne, peer support facilitator,
Explains what it’s like for her working at Brain Health Breakthrough, “It's fantastic. I have multiple disabilities, including Long COVID. The flexible hybrid working has enabled me to do the job, and I have got skills to offer. I get the work done, and I love it. The fact that the work is flexible reduces my stress, which means my symptoms are reduced because stress really doesn't help. I feel secure in my job. There are so many of us that have got a lot of skills and want to be able to work.”
Our Team
Karen Haworth: Managing Director Founder
BA Hons (Education), Dip. Transformational Therapy, Certified RTT Practitioner
Karen Haworth is the founder of Brain Health Breakthrough CIC and an award-winning, widely recognised "expert by experience." Living with the ongoing challenges of Long COVID and other disabilities, she brings deep lived experience, compassion, and resilience to every aspect of her work.
With over 30 years of experience in adult education, health, and social care, Karen has supported hundreds of individuals with chronic illness through a unique, trauma-informed approach that combines peer support, education, training, and personalised one-to-one care.
Karen’s qualifications include training in neuroscience, Hypnotherapy, breathwork, and subcellular psychology. Her holistic and innovative methods have shaped the bespoke wellbeing programmes delivered through Brain Health Breakthrough CIC—offering powerful solutions for individuals and organisations alike.
Hannah Beeko Non Executive Director
I provide corporate training on life skills such as stress management, efficiency, time and energy management as well as life/business success planning.
My mission is to enable as many people as possible to live a life they love.
I founded Authentically Speaking, a training and coaching business in 2016 and I am a certified leadership coach and trainer.
“It all starts with happiness for me. When we take care of our mental health and well-being, we are able to be the very best version of ourselves in our private lives and our business and career. Happiness has a big impact on productivity, effectiveness and profit!”
I have an open, honest and genuine approach which builds trust with people. My style is a mixture of coaching and training which helps people to make positive and lasting change to their life and business to create happiness.
Jane Colbourne Co-facilitator
Jane is a Long Covid survivor and co-facilitator for the Brain Health Breakthrough Long Covid support groups. She is also an events producer, performance poet, and freelance writer on science, nature & culture. She has past experience in complementary therapies, care work and tuition.
Cara Rimmer Co-facilitator
Long Covid since April 2020
In July I joined the team at Brain Health Breakthrough as a Peer Support Facilitator.
Previously worked as a support worker for people with learning difficulties/disabilities and Mental Health in educational and private settings.
My passion is supporting individuals to reach their full potential by working with them to remove barriers, promote independence and enrichment in order for them to feel empowered.
Susannah Longworth - Volunteer Coordinator
Susannah brings a wealth of experience in addressing complex health needs, particularly in the context of person-centered and integrative therapy. She is an expert by experience, having navigated and overcome similar challenges in her own life.
Susannah is a qualified, person-centered, and integrative therapy counsellor. Her previous experience on placement with Brain Health Breakthrough in 2022 has equipped her with valuable insights and skills, making her a trusted member of our team.
As a new addition to the team, Susannah joined us in January 2024. She plays a crucial role in overseeing counsellors from Blackburn University who are on placement with us, enabling Brain Health Breakthrough CIC to offer vital one-to-one counselling to our community groups.
Susannah also oversees volunteers across all our programs and helps us increase our capacity to take on volunteers within Brain Health Breakthrough CIC.
Debra Parry -Director
We are delighted to welcome Debra back as a Director of Brain Health Breakthrough CIC.
A womb cancer survivor and passionate advocate, Debra co-founded the UK-registered charity Action on Womb Cancer and runs a peer-led online support group for those affected.
She lives with the ongoing challenges of Long COVID and brings a wealth of lived experience, empathy, and dedication to everything she does.
Debra retired in 2020 after nearly 25 years in education, having supported students with Special Educational Needs and taught GCSE Mathematics for over 15 years. Prior to her career in education, she spent 16 years working in the Employment Service, specialising in supporting long-term unemployed individuals — particularly older adults — to rebuild confidence and return to work.
We’re thrilled to have Debra’s expertise and heart back on the team.