The seventh leg of our anniversary tour took us just down the road from our office to Stoke Mandeville – the birthplace of the Paralympics – but where so much is still going on to create opportunities for disabled people.
First stop was the National Paralympic Heritage Trust (NPHT) at Stoke Mandeville Stadium. Established in 2015, NPHT preserves and shares Paralympic heritage to promote inclusion and inspire future generations. NPHT celebrates this legacy through exhibitions, education, and community work, empowering disabled people and volunteers, especially in its free Heritage Centre where we met some of the inspiring trainees working for the organisation. Grants from Heart of Bucks have funded not only the creation of the heritage centre itself but also the creation of a digital gallery and exhibition of ‘The History of the Paralympics’ in 20 Objects using 3D printing. This exhibition is available for anyone to view online here.
Within the same building we met Wheelpower – a national charity and disability sports organisation for wheelchair sports which aims to transform the lives of disabled people through movement, physical activity and sport. Their annual sports festival – an opportunity for anyone aged over five to experience first-hand the benefits of wheelchair sports in a safe, inclusive and friendly environment – was funded by Heart of Bucks.
The stadium is also home to the Handcycling Association. This small charity is run entirely by volunteers and offers free sessions for disabled children and adults to try using a hand bike. A grant from the Esri UK fund helped rebuild one of the hand bikes (which can cost thousands to buy new) and we were delighted to be joined by Kat Bedocs and Alison Hughes from Esri. High Sheriff Pippa Kirkbride even got to try out one of the hand bikes.
We then travelled up the road to Stoke Mandeville Hospital and the National Spinal Injuries Centre. It was here we met Stoke Mandeville Spinal Research (SMSP), a small independent charity, founded in 2006 after consultants at centre realised that there was an inadequate amount of quality-of-life research for patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). The charity supports high quality research that tackles the day-to-day medical complications of paralysis to help restore independence and quality of life to patients with spinal cord injuries. We had the privileged of meeting one of their ambassadors Jason who had been involved in testing the SEM glove – a special assistive device to help people who cannot use their hands – which was funded by a grant from Heart of Bucks.
From there we went out to enjoy the tranquillity of Horatio’s Garden. A dedicated outside, fully accessible garden space for patients of the Spinal Injury Centre. The charity has installed gardens across the UK for use by spinal injury patients who can be in hospital for months at a time and their families. At Stoke Mandeville there is also an impressive garden room which as well as serving incredible tea and cake made by volunteers is also used to host activities including garden therapy, arts, craft and music sessions as a welcome distraction from life on the medical ward. Many of these activities have been funded by grants from Heart of Bucks.
Our last stop of the day was Calibre Audio. This friendly audiobook service is available to anyone who cannot see, read or comprehend written words due to a disability or learning issue, including: visual impairment; dyslexia; a brain injury or cognitive impairment, such as stroke, or conditions like arthritis, affecting dexterity. The charity aims to create an inclusive future where everyone has the right and the opportunity to read. Grants from Heart of Bucks have gone towards funding training for the many volunteers who help at Calibre’s library and offices as well as the creation of inclusive reading groups.
