The BIRD Story

Dr David McGlown

In 1982 the founder of the charity, Dr David McGlown began using a pioneering approach to the treatment of children with Brain Injury at the Centre in Broughton near Chester. From the outset The BIRD Charity's aim was to offer its treatment programme to all who could benefit from it. From that time on, with a small dedicated staff, the Centre has pursued it's aim of helping as many patients as it can to improve the quality of their lives by helping to develop skills never before present or lost through injury or accident.

The improvements in many of the children who joined the treatment programme were so significant that the treatment programme was extended to people of all ages who had suffered many different forms of brain injury.

The BIRD Charity and its work gradually began to become known amongst professionals as the often profound improvements in patients conditions spoke for themselves.

More treatment rooms were soon needed and in 1989 a generous grant from Charity Projects enabled BIRD to refurbish and expand the centre to provide more treatment rooms and extra facilities. The 'new' Centre was opened formally by His Grace the Duke of Westminster, in 1992.

Today, the BIRD Centre covers two distinctly separate areas of work:

  • The work done with all forms of neurological impairment and brain injury.
  • Learning Development work to treat children who are failing educationally due to any of a variety of conditions, or with no obvious cause.

In September, 2003 our founder Dr David McGlown retired as Chief Executive. Dr McGlown remains with us as a Trustee of the Charity and Clinical Consultant.

BIRD has increased the numbers of patients it can treat through employing additional professional Clinical Personnel. In many cases, the families of our patients have often tragically been told that nothing more could be done to help; thankfully BIRD can often help these patients who are then able to make further improvements and develop beyond previous expectations.