Week 17 - Aspire

This week I'm sponsoring a friend who is raising money for Aspire.  Beverley is swimming a total of 22 miles - the distance of the English Channel - over 12 weeks.

Aspire provide practical help to those who have been paralysed by spinal cord injuries.  Around 40,000 people in the UK live with a spinal cord injury and another person is paralysed by injury every eight hours.  There is no cure or repair to such injuries so Aspire helps to rehabilitate and support those who are living with spinal disabilities.

The charity was originally founded in 1982 to provide improved equipment to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore but the vision grew to providing a whole new facility; a fully accessible training and leisure centre for both disabled and able-bodied people to use and promote integration.  The original building was opened in 1991 by HRH the Princess of Wales who was a patron of the charity.  An extension, double in size and designed by Sir Norman Foster, was opened in 1998.

As well as the leisure centre, Aspire now also provide support to disabled people, whether they have a new injury or have lived with an injury for years.  They help fund specialist equipment, advise on matters such as living independently and access to welfare and can provide short-term housing in accessible accommodation while someone is adapting their own home or searching for a new one.  They ensure people with spinal cord injuries have independent access to a computer and also campaign on issues surrounding accessibility in public places.

Good luck Bev!