Focus on Stanmore
The London Spinal Cord Injury Centre
Key facts
- 31 beds
- 4 Wheelchair Skills sessions per year
Michael – Outreach and Support Coordinator
How did you first get involved with Back Up?
When I had my injury Back Up hadn’t started running the wheelchair skills services. I met someone who came into the hospital I was at to give a talk. After I was discharged I went on a multi activity course in the Lake District where I improved and learnt more wheelchair skills which gave me the confidence to venture out further on my own when I got home and try other activities.
What is your current role?
I work as an Outreach & Support Coordinator which involves working and liaising with spinal centre staff at Belfast, Salisbury, Southport and Stanmore spinal cord injury centres to run wheelchair skills and wheelchair skills extra sessions. I will stay in touch with the patients I have met after their discharge, offering support, information and signposting to other charities organisations when needed.
What is your proudest achievement at this centre?
Back Up is the only spinal injuries charity in the UK to have a dedicated under 18 service. I attend the monthly under 18 outpatient clinics at Stanmore and Back Up has built a very good relationship with the paediatric nurses there which has resulted in them having the confidence in us to refer their patient to our services.
What is the biggest challenge or frustration facing you at this centre?
Even though this is the centre I go to most, I would like more time there to meet more people as quite often the patients are busy at physio or OT so I don’t meet as many people as I would like to.
If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing, what would it be?
More time in my schedule to be there more often to meet more people affected by SCI.
??? – Volunteer Wheelchair Skills Trainer
How did you get involved with Back Up?
It was a long time ago (maybe even last century!) and I’d decided I to go on the skiing trip to Are in Sweden. Snow, sun, hot chocolate and saunas … good memories.
What is your current role?
I am wheelchair skills trainer. I’ve been injured since 1992 so I guess I’m an ‘experienced’ trainer.
What is your proudest achievement at this centre?
We help new injuries and everyone we meet is different. Some are desperate to try new things in the chair, some are more cautious. Finding different ways for people to feel comfortable is a challenge. It could be as simple as reminding someone to keep breathing, but in our sessions we get the one on one time that allows us to treat people as individuals.
What is the biggest challenge or frustration facing you at this centre?
We do bring lots of plastic water bottles, and other plastic wrapped snacks to our training sessions. Too much plastic.
If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing, what would it be?
Fix all pavements instantly.
