Charities join forces for Spinal Cord Injuries Awareness Day on 16 May
On Friday 16 May, Spinal Injuries Together, a group of the UK’s five major Spinal Cord Injury charities, will be joining forces to raise awareness of the life-changing effects of a spinal cord injury.
Together the five charities offer support services including mentoring, rehabilitative courses, information resources, vocational support, wheelchair skills training, help with housing, grants and general advice to enable people to live an independent life following their injury. They are also active in campaigning and research.
EVERY EIGHT HOURS someone in the UK is told they may never walk again due to spinal cord damage. There is currently no cure, although research into this continues, and it is estimated that there are 40,000 spinal cord injured people in the UK alone.
Despite the difficulties of coming to terms with a spinal cord injury, the five major spinal cord injury charities in the UK, provide practical help and support so that spinal injured people are able to live a full and active life.
The Spinal Injuries Together charities organising Spinal Cord Injuries Awareness Day are:
Aspire
A UK charity that provides practical help to people who have been paralysed by spinal cord injury. Their core services, including Aspire Housing, Assistive Technology, Independent Living Advice and Aspire Grants, support hundreds of people every year in their return to independence.
Aspire run the successful Instructability programme. It is an award winning training programme providing disabled people with free, accessible fitness industry training leading to a level 2 gym instructor qualification.
For more information, visit www.aspire.org.uk
Back Up
A UK charity that has helped thousands of people of all ages and backgrounds rebuild their confidence and independence after paralysis. Their wheelchair skills training, mentoring service and rehabilitative activity courses are all run by people affected by spinal cord injury themselves. They also support people to overcome the challenges of returning to work or school.
Spinal Injuries Association (SIA)
A UK, user-led charity of spinal cord injured people. They provide services and information to support individuals from the moment of injury and for the rest of their lives. Their main activities include delivering peer services in Spinal Injury Centres and District General Hospitals, a Freephone advice line, training programme, vocational support and employment service. They also campaign for the best medical and social care for the spinal cord injured community.
Spinal Injuries Scotland (SIS)
The Scottish national voluntary organisation for spinal cord injured people and those close to them. SIS provides immediate support through the office based Information Service and operates a self-referral information line. We also provide peer support within the Scottish national spinal unit along with a legal and welfare rights advisory service.
Spinal Research
The UK's leading charity funding groundbreaking medical research around the world to develop reliable treatments for paralysis caused by a broken back or neck. Our vision is a world where spinal cord injury no longer means a lifetime of paralysis.
