Answer extracted from the Hull Trains – Moving Minds podcast — listen to the full episode below.
How has P.A.U.L For Brain Recovery evolved from a personal initiative into a structured organization with partnerships and staff?
The NHS commission in 2017 was the turning point that transformed Paul Spence's personal recovery journey into a legitimate, staffed organization. He brought on Lee North as operations manager to handle governance, policies, and administration—areas Paul, as an electrician, had no expertise in. Today, the charity operates with eight staff members, soon to be ten, alongside volunteers, ambassadors, and trustees, plus formal partnerships with five departments at the University of Hull.
From Solo Mission to Structured Team
Paul Spence began as a sole voice—an electrical engineer sharing his brain injury recovery story through fundraising events and social media. The transformation accelerated significantly when the NHS commissioned P.A.U.L For Brain Recovery in 2017. This endorsement gave him the credibility and resources needed to move beyond a grassroots initiative.
The first major structural decision was recruiting Lee North as operations manager. North's appointment ten years ago filled a critical gap—handling policies, procedures, governance, insurance, and administrative compliance that would have been beyond Paul's background as an engineer. This hire allowed Spence to focus on the mission while someone else managed the organizational machinery.
Building Academic Credibility and Research Partnerships
Beyond staffing, Spence developed formal partnerships that anchored the charity in academic rigor. The organization now collaborates with five different departments at the University of Hull, working alongside researchers like Dr. Kelly Doherty and Professor Jonathan Glashard on a brain health board. These partnerships lend research credibility to the charity's work and open pathways for evidence-based practice.
The team structure now reflects this maturity: eight staff members with plans to expand to ten, plus a network of volunteers, ambassadors, and trustees. This setup allows P.A.U.L For Brain Recovery to operate as a true NHS-commissioned service rather than a charity running on passion alone.
"I am different, I am no less—I've been judging myself as a less of a person, and it was not fair. I needed encouragement, kindness and compassion."
Paul Spence — CEO and Founder of P.A.U.L For Brain Recovery. An electrical engineer who suffered a frontal lobe brain hemorrhage in 2012 after an unprovoked attack, Spence spent time in the major trauma ward at Hull Royal Infirmary ICU. After two years of neuropsychology treatment and losing his job due to lasting cognitive deficits, he transformed his recovery through structured exercise and fundraising. His journey from personal survival to founding an NHS-commissioned charity demonstrates how lived experience and organizational discipline can combine to serve others facing brain injury.
What makes this scaling story remarkable is that Spence didn't just grow a staff—he built the right infrastructure. The episode reveals how mentorship from figures like Neil Hudgel and strategic hiring like Lee North's appointment provided the foundations for a charity that could operate sustainably and credibly within the NHS ecosystem.
See also
What role did mentorship and networking play in transforming a personal recovery story into an established NHS-commissioned charity?
Paul met local businessman Neil Hudgel at a networking event and was invited to be an ambassador for Hudgel Solicitors, with Neil playing an instrumental role in developing the charity's strategic foundation.
What inspired the founding of a brain injury recovery charity, and how did community relationships drive its creation?
After running marathons and organizing fundraising events, Paul launched a Facebook page to share insights into brain injury and serve as a voice for others. The overwhelming community response to his story sparked the creation of the charity.
How does therapeutic intervention and mental health support contribute to brain injury recovery and identity reconstruction?
After two years of recovery, Paul accessed mental health services and saw a psychotherapist who helped him reframe his thinking. A critical breakthrough was recognizing that he was not less of a person despite lasting cognitive changes.