John White, 69 from Marton in Blackpool, suffered a severe brain injury while at work in 2003. The former long-distance lorry driver was 47 at the time and operating a crane which tipped back causing John to fall and hit his head.

His injury was so severe that John was in and out of hospital for several months. He needed rehabilitation and had to relearn to walk, the accident also affected his short-term memory.

This is then when he began to take up art therapy with brain injury support charity Headway, first in Preston and later the Blackpool group. Drawing helps John relax and lower his blood pressure, and distracts him from the pain he has in his back and legs.

John said: “Drawing means everything to me, I draw HGVs, vehicles, trains, houses, buildings and occasionally animals and they’re all pencil drawings.”

John’s drawings have previously been displayed in The Grundy Art Gallery in Blackpool and The Blackpool Tower. They have also captured the attention of Blackpool Transport, after John draw a series of Christmas cards featuring Blackpool trams.

The company has now sponsored the cards for the third year running with donations helping to pay for future Headway support sessions.

John’s wife Ann White, who is now his full time carer, remembers the day he was injured. She said: “It was scary. It was very scary when it happened; I just got a phone call to say that John was in hospital.”

John also suffered a stroke last year which has slowed him down a bit, but he still spends five hours everyday on his pencil drawings with trucks being his favourite thing to create.

Ann explained how John did draw on and off before his accident but is grateful he has been able to develop his talent with the support of Headway. She said: “I’m really proud of him, he’s done well and sometimes he doesn’t think his drawings are good enough, they’ve got to be perfect.”

Samantha Sweeney Ashcroft is charity leader at Headway in Blackpool which provides weekly sessions for those like John who have suffered a brain injury. Here she helps members to socialise, engage in activities and share lunches together, to rehabilitate and create a safe space for the survivors and their carers.

Samantha said: “John’s drawings are phenomenal, he draws A3 drawings all pencil drawings, and doesn’t like to use colour, and will donate them to anyone interested in looking at his drawings”

John said: “Without Headway I’d be lost, everyone in here is my friend and we’re all equal.”

Wife Ann said the charity is vital for people like herself and John. She said: “John enjoys going because he likes to meet other people. He was a bit scared to go in at first when he had a stroke because of his speech. But I got him to go and we both enjoyed it.”

According to Headway every 90 seconds, someone is admitted to hospital with a brain injury in the UK with 350,000 individuals acquiring one each year.