Family Support Sessions

At our Back Up Family Support Sessions, you will meet and hear from our volunteers who also have a family member with a spinal cord injury. Working alongside the healthcare professionals, the family volunteers can give you a ‘real life’ picture of living with a spinal cord injury, useful information, and advice from their own personal experiences.

There is also an opportunity to ask questions and talk in a safe and welcoming environment. You will learn about spinal cord injury, bladder and bowel care, pain and fatigue management, psychological wellbeing, relationships and intimacy, the discharge process, and all about the different services Back Up and other charities provide.

“I just wanted to thank you so much for a lovely afternoon. It was full of information and experiences that has made me feel not so alone and hopeful for the future.”
Family member whose partner has a spinal cord injury

Our Family Support Sessions are here for all family members of people with a spinal cord injury – regardless of where your loved one is receiving their rehabilitation.

If you would like to know more and speak to a member of the team, please get in touch by emailing our family support team or call us on 020 8875 1805.

Back Up also provides vital support for families through our mentoring service and our young people’s services.

Richard's story

When spinal cord injury first entered our lives, I didn’t want to speak to anyone. I imagine that’s how a lot of people feel. But soon I had to accept that this was affecting me, whether I wanted to admit it or not. It is so easy for family members to be overlooked. It is easy to slip into loneliness and isolation. But that isn’t how it has to be.

Upcoming Family Support Sessions:

Stoke Mandeville – Family & Friends’ Day – Thursday 12 December 2024 – Contact Klaudia at Stoke Mandeville to register (klaudia.tila@nhs.net)