Picture: John with his wife Sue
At Back Up, we inspire people affected by spinal cord injury to get the most out of life. For over 30 years, we’ve helped people and their families to rebuild their independence after a devastating spinal cord injury.
We would like to thank Radio 4 listeners for generously donating £10,689 to our appeal, helping us to offer vital services to people affected by spinal cord injury across the UK.
Charley Boorman presented our appeal by sharing John’s story. In 2016, John sustained a spinal cord injury in a motorcycle accident which left him paralysed from the chest down. He attended one of Back Up's courses where he was able to learn from volunteers who have a spinal cord injury and could understand what he was going through. John shared experiences, learnt new wheelchair skills and tried activities he never imagined he’d be able to do again like kayaking and horse riding. It totally changed his perception of what his life could be like.
Our award-winning, practical services challenge the perceptions of what’s possible and increase people’s skills and confidence. We offer:
- Wheelchair skills training
- Mentoring for people with a spinal cord injury and their families
- Telephone support
- Life skills and activity courses
- Support for people returning to the workplace
- Education support for children and young people with a spinal cord injury
Today, we’re at the forefront of helping people adjust positively to spinal cord injury – so they get back up to living life to the full.
You can find out more about the charity .