'I forgot my wife's name after nightclub bouncer attack'

Alec Williams sustained a traumatic brain injury in 2003

A man whose brain injury caused him to forget his wife's name has said volunteering helped him to start a new life.

Alec Williams, 61, from Cardiff, was thrown down a flight of stairs at a nightclub and out onto the pavement by a bouncer, who admitted grievous bodily harm and was jailed for a year.

He was put on life support after suffering a fractured skull and brain haemorrhage in the attack in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, in 2003. Despite recovering, the ex-electrician has not been able to work or drive since.

Mr Williams said that he "did not want to live" until he began volunteering with the Headway charity, which supports people after brain injury.

"I'd gone from being an electrician, in charge of about 30 people, to suddenly not knowing my wife's name," he said.

"I couldn't remember that my dad had died so I was angry because he hadn't come to visit me in hospital.

"I've been told some of my memories may never come back. I had to start a new life."

Mr Williams with fellow volunteer Dave and service users Sion and Shane

For the past 20 years, Mr Williams has been helping other people with brain injuries to socialise, take part in activities and develop and maintain skills.

He said: "It is so important to me. I get so much out of it. It's helped me with my brain injury too.

"When you have a brain injury, you think you're the only person it's ever happened to.

"Volunteering opened my eyes, I'm going volunteer for as long as I can, it has changed my life."

Mr Williams is a finalist in the Volunteer of the Year category in the charity's annual awards.

Rebecca Pearce, chief executive of Headway Cardiff and South East Wales, put him forward for the award because she had seen "the obstacles and personal battles Alec has had to fight".

She described him as "integral to the charity" and said they can "always rely on him to be the first to approach new members to make sure they feel welcome and at home".