The Brain Charity

Sarah and Andrew have always focused on adapting, connecting, and progressing together. Both registered blind since birth, this Liverpool couple has built a life defined by creativity, resilience, and a shared determination to concentrate on what they can do rather than what they cannot. 

Now approaching their 10th anniversary this August, they say finding The Brain Charity has helped them feel more connected, confident, and supported than ever before. 

Sarah said: 

“We feel enriched coming here. It benefits our physical and mental health and our social lives, too. We never feel judged here, only supported.” 

A life shaped by music 

Driven by her passion for music and performance, Sarah has been building a career as a professional singer since 2003. 

She explained: 

“Music’s always been part of who I am. Singing gives me confidence and helps me express myself.” 

Today, Sarah and Andrew are working together to take that passion even further by developing a singing and voice acting business. Andrew acts as Sarah’s sound engineer, and together they are exploring new opportunities and creative projects. 

Sarah said:  

“We make a really good team. Andrew understands exactly how I work, and we support each other in everything.” 

The pair first met online nearly a decade ago and quickly formed a close bond through their shared experiences, humour, and love of creativity. 

Andrew said: 

“We just clicked. We understand each other.” 

Living with hidden challenges 

In addition to her blindness, Sarah says she faces challenges related to undiagnosed ADHD and autism. 

She explained: 

“I struggle when routines suddenly change or when plans are disrupted. Waiting around or not knowing what’s happening can make me very anxious.” 

Over the years, she has learned more about how her mind works and the importance of being in environments where she feels understood and accepted. 

“For a long time, I felt like I had to push through everything or hide how overwhelmed I was feeling.” 

That sense of understanding became even more important in 2025, when Andrew was diagnosed with cancer. 

He underwent radiotherapy treatment and is now recovering well, but the experience was emotionally exhausting for them both. 

Sarah visited him in the hospital every single day. 

“There was no way I wasn’t going to be there. We’ve always supported each other through everything.” 

Finding The Brain Charity 

Sarah first heard about The Brain Charity through her involvement in community theatre and work with DADA, a disability and Deaf arts organisation. 

While working with DADA, she learned about The Brain Charity’s Neurodiversity Arts Festival and decided to get involved. 

That experience became a major turning point. 

Sarah said: 

“I absolutely loved it. It felt amazing to be around other people who understood different experiences and ways of thinking.” 

One of the highlights of the festival was performing on the same show as Johnny Vegas. 

“I still can’t quite believe it. Getting to work alongside him and sing at the festival was such an exciting experience.” 

A place that feels welcoming 

After later attending The Brain Charity’s AGM, Sarah and Andrew met Neuro Gym Supervisor Scott and were shown around the Neuro Gym. 

The following year, they decided to join, and they haven’t looked back since. 

Andrew explained:  

“We come once a week now. The gym has helped both of us physically, but socially as well. We’ve met lovely people here.” 

For Sarah, the atmosphere has been just as important as the exercise itself. 

“There’s something really calming about being here. People accept you as you are.” 

The pair especially enjoy the social side of the centre, including the café. 

Sarah said: 

“When Katrina’s baking, the smells coming from the café remind me of my mum baking when I was little. It’s comforting. It makes the place feel homely.” 

Finding connection and confidence 

Alongside the Neuro Gym, Sarah and Andrew regularly attend yoga sessions, sound bath sessions and have even joined the centre’s competitive boccia sessions. 

They also look forward to attending our annual Head Matters events and hearing more talks from people with similar lived experiences. 

Sarah explained: 

“It’s nice to have common ground with people. 

“Sometimes you spend so much of your life feeling different, and then you come somewhere like this and realise people understand.” 

That feeling of acceptance has made a huge difference to both of them. 

Sarah said:  

“Scott’s brilliant. We never feel judged by him, only encouraged and supported. That’s really important to us.” 

Andrew agreed: 

“You can just relax and be yourself here.” 

Progress you can see 

For NeuroGym Supervisor Scott Black, seeing Sarah and Andrew’s progress has been one of the most rewarding parts of their time at The Brain Charity. 

Scott said: 

“It has been great to have both Sarah and Andrew inducted into our NeuroGym programme. I have seen massive improvements with both of their exercise levels and achievements.” 

When Sarah first started using the TheraTrainer Tigo Bike, she was cycling for around five minutes at a resistance level of 2. Today, she can work for 15 minutes on both the leg and upper-arm exercises, at resistance levels of 5–7 — completing half an hour of exercise at a much higher intensity. 

Andrew has made similar strides. When he first began using the rehabilitation treadmill, he was exercising for around 10 minutes at 2.2 km/h. He can now comfortably exercise for more than 30 minutes at a pace of 3.5 km/h. 

And they’re not doing it alone. 

Sarah and Andrew often exercise alongside one another, using their shared sessions as motivation to keep improving on the week before. 

The Neuro Gym

Scott has also seen some significant changes in Andrew’s health since his first BodiTrax assessment in February 2025. Over the course of his NeuroGym journey, Andrew has lost almost 20kg, with his BMI falling from 31.1 to 23.1. Andrew’s body composition has also changed considerably, with his muscle mass increasing and his body fat and visceral fat reducing. 

His BodiTrax results now show a much healthier overall picture, with his visceral fat moving from the higher-risk range into the healthy range. His metabolic age has also reduced by 15 years. 

For Scott, though, the numbers are only one part of the progress. 

The NeuroGym regularly reviews physical health alongside mental wellbeing, confidence and motivation, helping to capture changes that cannot always be measured on a machine. 

Scott said: 

“It is great to have both Sarah and Andrew with us in our centre and for us to witness the improvements in every single aspect of their fitness journeys. We look forward to seeing further progress with them both into the future.” 

For Sarah and Andrew, their progress at the Neuro Gym is about more than hitting a new resistance level or walking further on a treadmill. It’s about building confidence, supporting each other and discovering what they can achieve together. 

Looking ahead 

As they approach their 10th anniversary together, Sarah and Andrew are focused on continuing to grow their creative work, improve their wellbeing, and make new memories together. 

They hope to travel more across Liverpool and beyond, exploring new places and experiences together. 

Sarah said: 

“We want to keep building our confidence and seeing more of the world. There’s still so much we want to do.” 

For both of them, The Brain Charity has become more than just a place to exercise. 

It has become a community. 

“A lot of places can make you feel like you have to explain yourself. Here, we just feel accepted.”