For people with spinal cord injury

John C4/5 learning to sail

Rehabilitation Courses

The Back-Up Trust has been established for over 20 years and is well known for our range of day, weekend and week long courses centred on activities and sport. The courses are professionally run, often with medical professionals and carers in attendance across the UK and abroad. Our courses cater for people aged under 18 years and adults aged 18 - 80, both paraplegic’s and tetraplegics (including those with high care needs), males and females.

‘The week gave me a can-do attitude and some skills to put into action when I get home.’ Geoff T0-12, aged 42

Rehabilitation Services

Friends at a summer Back-Up event

Connections

Back-Up has a team of trained spinally injured mentors to talk to you about the life changes around your injury. Our mentors have personal experience of coming to terms with spinal cord injury and can offer emotional and practical support back to independence no matter how long post injury you are.

‘The benefit of receiving this kind of assistance is so valuable, saving precious time. Knowing what I now know, I reckon I could take a year and a half off the time taken to achieve my independence, which actually took between 4 and 5 years, so quite a significant percentage! This programme could have helped me had it been in existence.’ Simon, aged 37 C5/6/7, injured 1994

Wheelchair Skills

Our specially trained spinally injured wheelchair skills trainers run morning or afternoon sessions at all the spinal centres across the UK (including Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) where groups of 5 or more learn from our experts on how to tackle curbs, steps or ramps to increase technique and skill before leaving the centre.

‘I have seen so many people’s lives changed, even by learning the smallest wheelchair skill. Apart from teaching the sessions, it is important to interact as part of the group and this means that I too have learnt new things each time I attend a course’ Janice (40) wheelchair skills trainer, cause of injury – operation

Two participants on a Youth Rehabilitation Ski Course, Sweden

Youth Programme

Are you Under 18 and spinally injured? Or are you a parent or carer of someone who is? We have a range of specialist services including coming to meet you and your parents in a spinal centre from someone was spinally injured at a similar age, an e-forum, residential courses (supported by The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme) support going back to school and so much more!