Let's Talk About a Charity Called Back-Up
- Katie
- Oct 12, 2016
- 3 min read
It's Katie here! Back with another blog post but this time about a charity called Back-Up, one that is close to mine and my families hearts.
Back-Up is a charity that provides support to spinal injured people and their families, they offer a number of different services - mentoring, wheelchair skills training, support with going back to school or work and a number of different courses.
The courses Back-Up offer range from multi-activity courses, city skills, skiing and so much more with courses that have been split into certain age groups. You can view more about the different courses and services via this link; http://www.backuptrust.org.uk/what-we-do
Why Back-Up Is Important To Me
In 2011 I had a spinal cord injury, that's when I first heard of Back-Up. For the first year or so I didn't have much do with them, I knew they were there but I was learning to accept the spinal injury in my own way.
Back-Up have been a massive support network to me and my family, I know if there's an issue I'll always have back-up there. During some of the hardest years of my life they gave me opportunities I thought I wouldn't have again, they provided me with a mentor to talk things through with and I feel without Back-Up I wouldn't be who I am today.
One of the first things I did with Back-Up was going on their multi-activity course in 2013, where it was held in the Lake District. Going on this course was not only a huge step for me but my parents too, as since my spinal injury I hadn't been away from home and relied massively on my parents but going on this course was one of the best things I've ever done.
In the Lake District I'd done things I thought I would of never been able to do, horse riding, canoeing, archery, cycling and much more. It was one of the best things I'd ever experienced, not only did I do a number of different activities but within the week I became a lot more independent than I was before, coming home my parents couldn't believe the change that one week had made. (Photos from Lake District on the left).
My Work With Back-Up
Within the last few years I've done a lot of work with Back-Up, I wanted to give something back and help other people.
The first volunteering I did with Back-Up was becoming a group leader, I spent a weekend in 2014 training for it in Loughborough and summer 2014, I helped group lead my first course on the Under 13's Multi Activity course in Exmoor. In 2015 I also went to Exmoor with the under 13's but this year I helped group lead on the new City Skills for 13-17 year olds.
I've done numerous of other things with Back-Up such as training to be a young mentor, helping out at a fun day in Birmingham Children's Hospital and last year I also traveled to Oslo to experience how they ran courses in a different country.
Travelling to Oslo was one of the biggest steps I took since my spinal injury, I hadn't been on a plane since or been so far away from my mum, I experienced so many anxieties of going but I'm so glad that I did, I experienced how other people are treated in different countries and learnt more about myself and my capabilities.
Alongside this I'm part of the Youth Advisory Group at Back-Up. The Youth Advisory Group is a small group of young people (that's expanding!) that meet up within the year for a weekend to discuss Back-Up, changes we may feel will reach out to young people, fundraising ideas and more! It's a great experience, everyone's ideas are listened too and its a chance to meet others with a spinal injury round your age!
My favorite thing about volunteering with back-up is knowing that the things I do are helping another person, whether its back-up as a whole or a child I've volunteered with. It's something I always enjoy is helping other people and giving back to those that have helped me.
Back-Up are such an incredible and important charity to spinal injured people and their families, I could never thank them enough for everything they've done for me and my family since my spinal injury, the opportunities they've given me since. As I've said before, I wouldn't be who I am or doing what I'm doing now without them and I'll be forever thankful.
Visit the Back-Up website here! http://www.backuptrust.org.uk/home
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