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This section outlines why Back Up has produced this toolkit, by highlighting the research which evidences the need for inclusive education. ‘Back Up’s education inclusion service provides education and support to staff at nurseries right through to university in understanding what is needed, and perhaps more importantly what is not needed, by children and young […]

Volunteers are a big part of Back Up. We were founded by volunteers and they remain at the heart of all we do. We spoke to Julie Hill, one of our volunteers who has reached an astounding milestone of 30 years of service. Read on to hear her story, and discover how she supported us […]

Preparing to welcome a student with a spinal cord injury Returning to Education after Injury It may seem daunting for a school or education provider to consider how to include a child or young person with a spinal cord injury. However it is important to remember that with the right support, many children and young […]

This blog was sponsored by Sirus Automotive. Jenna, 33, from Sligo sustained a C5/6 spinal cord injury in 2014 whilst on holiday in Spain. After weeks in an induced coma followed by 9 months in hospital, Jenna has worked tirelessly to get her life back on track. She set out a five-year plan. This included […]

Back Up has recently launched an exciting new campaign – Heels for Wheels! We are thrilled to be working with celebrities from the worlds of fashion, entertainment, and sport to host an online auction to raise funds for our vital services. We will be auctioning off shoes owned by these famous faces – from heels […]

Sophie Carrigill, the Great Britain wheelchair basketball co-captain at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, has today, on the UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities, become a Back Up patron. Sophie joins the team having been a regular service-user herself after sustaining a spinal cord injury ten years ago. “I’m thrilled to join the Back Up […]

Last year, we wrote a tribute to Tim Scott – one of our most prolific volunteers who sadly passed away. Tim was keen to help us with teaching wheelchair skills and passionately led several of our courses. Back Up meant a lot to Tim, as we supported him and his family after he sustained a […]

After sustaining a spinal cord injury, having the right support is essential. That’s why six friends – Ruth, Ian, Grace, Rubayet, Chris, and Mark – got together to create ‘This is Spinal Crap’, a podcast about living well with a spinal cord injury. 2020 is set to be an exciting year for the team. They […]

Laura’s life was suddenly changed at a young age. After being diagnosed with scoliosis she went in to have an operation for it. A mistake during surgery resulted in a spinal cord injury. “The surgeon stopped the blood supply to my spinal cord and I woke up paralysed. I sustained a complete injury at the […]

Recently we held our Edinburgh City Skills course. Two of our fantastic wheelchair skills trainers – Julie and Richard – volunteered on the course to teach techniques for getting around cities as a wheelchair user. Julie has been volunteering with us for over a decade, and this was Richard’s first time helping out on a […]