Back Up

“My mentor helped to alleviate a lot of the anxiety that I was experiencing on a daily basis. They helped my confidence and understanding of my situation to no end. It has been a really good experience and I would highly recommend it to anyone.” Want to help make a difference to people in a similar situation? We’re looking for people with a spinal cord injury who would like to train as volunteer mentors. Visit our website to learn more about our online mentor training weekend from 27 – 29 Sept, and find out how you can help us transform lives affected by spinal cord injury. https://bit.ly/3swSwLY

We are looking forward to our YAG (Youth Advisory Group) development weekend, which starts on 14 September! Our YAG is a group of young volunteers who help us shape our services for children and young people. Their efforts mean that we can ensure the support we offer has been influenced by young people with lived experience of spinal cord injury. Check out a few throwback photos of our June YAG in this post. Special thanks to Bolt Burdon Kemp for sponsoring our YAG! Interested in learning about the services we offer to children and young people affected by spinal cord injury? Visit our website to learn more. https://bit.ly/2FsxepW

The 2024 Paralympics came to a close yesterday evening. #ParalympicsGB are celebrating a fantastic grand total of 124 medals won! What an amazing result – congratulations to everyone who took part in this year’s games. Of course, not everyone affected by spinal cord injury is a Paralympian – but have you ever had your own #GoldMedalMoment? This could be anything from rediscovering a favourite hobby, to simply making a cup of tea independently. We want to hear from you. Let us know your #GoldMedalMoment in the comment section of this post, and help inspire others in a similar situation! #spinalcordinjury #paralympics

Good luck to everyone taking on our No Limits cycling challenge today! The challenge begins at Silverstone Circuit, where our cyclists will ride a lap of the motor circuit before heading out into the lanes and villages of Buckinghamshire. Keep an eye on our profile for photos from the event – and visit the No Limits website to show your support! https://lnkd.in/gkXt8iZZ

There’s still time to join a free webinar about writing your will for Remember A Charity Week on 10 September at 1pm, hosted by our partner solicitors, Irwin Mitchell. Get involved and discover how your gift can help us keep transforming lives in the future. Join us for this informal event where they will take you through all you need to know, including the tax implications. There is no obligation to use their services or to donate to Back Up. There will also be the opportunity to ask questions. Visit the link to learn more. https://bit.ly/45fy0O4 IRWIN MITCHELL LLP

Brian – AKA “Grandad Wheels” - has been doing a fantastic job of raising awareness in schools around the UK, helping young people understand spinal cord injury. We’d like to wish Brian good luck with his future school visits as the September term starts – and also say thank you for his fundraising efforts for Back Up! Sales from his book series, ‘The Adventures of Grandad Wheels!’ will financially benefit both the Spinal Injuries Association and Back Up. Check out his books in our online shop – and don’t hesitate to get in touch with Grandad Wheels himself if you’d be interested in him visiting your school. https://bit.ly/3LNDAkj

The Paralympic Games 2024 are in full flow, and ParalympicsGB have won nearly 80 medals so far! An amazing 24 Paralympians have used Back Up services including Melanie Woods and Samantha Kinghorn (athletics), Benjamin Pritchard (rowing), Liam McGarry (powerlifting), Gavin Walker and Jonathan Coggan MBE (rugby) and our wonderful Patron Sophie Carrigill (basketball). Melanie sustained a spinal cord injury whilst out cycling. She says, "From the support in the spinal unit, to going away on the sit skiing trip to Colorado, Back Up have been a huge part of my journey post injury. Back Up showed me exciting things and connected me with amazing people, which allowed me to be excited about life again. The power of speaking to others with an injury is freeing. I would recommend anyone with a spinal cord injury to tap in to the many resources Back Up have." We might not all be Paralympians, but thanks to support from individuals, corporate supporters, Trusts and Foundations, we can help people with spinal cord injuries achieve their own Gold Medal Moments. Maybe your #GoldMedalMoment was carrying a cuppa after learning wheelchair skills, building confidence to catch a train by yourself or getting back to a favourite hobby. The Paralympics happen every four years. But extraordinary moments can happen every day. Share your #GoldMedalMoment in the comments below and inspire others to achieve their full potential. Read more Gold Medal Moments https://lnkd.in/eR6ibVHU Eversholt UK Rails Group Shoosmiths - Serious Injury Stewarts

“Every time I’ve used Back Up’s services, I come away fired up and ambitious.” - Jemima (15), Multi Activity Course participant September has some fantastic opportunities for you to use Back Up’s confidence-boosting services. Whether you’re keen to get back to work or volunteering after spinal cord injury with Back to Work Bitesize, or join our fortnightly Back Up Lounge, check out this post to browse what we have available this month 🧡

With just 1️⃣ month to go until our fabulous #FrontRow2024 event, our team are working hard to make it the best night ever! 🤩 We’ve got some incredible models lined up, many of whom have been supported by Back Up and have a spinal cord injury themselves. 👗Our wonderful stylist @lisawisdom is selecting the beautiful outfits thanks to the lovely team @designerexchangeuk. And our generous Front Row Committee are finalising auction items and putting the final touches on the night - we cannot wait!! ✨Join us on the Front Row and book your tickets https://lnkd.in/eruMzd2w - join us on Wednesday 2 October for a night of sparkle and elegance✨ Drop a ✨in the comments if you’ll be joining us or if you’ve attended before - and please do share to help spread the word!

Returning to work or volunteering after spinal cord injury may feel overwhelming – but Back Up is here to equip you with the confidence and knowledge needed to thrive in the workplace after spinal cord injury. Our Back to Work Bitesize services is a series of fortnightly webinars hosted on Zoom on Tuesday 12 September, Tuesday 26 September, and Tuesday 10 October, 6 – 7pm. They cover a range of important subjects and delivered by people who understand what you may be going through – including skill identification, CV writing, and reasonable adjustments. Visit our website to learn more and get involved. https://bit.ly/3HbzH52