Back Up

Who we are

Every four hours, someone in the UK will sustain a spinal cord injury. It could be as the result of an illness or something as simple as falling down the stairs. Spinal cord injury can affect anyone at any time.

The impact on the person and their family can seem catastrophic, affecting every area of their life from bladder, bowel and sexual functions to career and relationships. Adjusting to spinal cord injury can be overwhelming. People often feel isolated and alone. Less than a third of people with a spinal cord injury are in employment.

At Back Up, we inspire people affected by spinal cord injury to get the most out of life. For over 30 years, we’ve helped people and their families to rebuild their independence after a devastating spinal cord injury. Our award-winning, practical services challenge the perceptions of what’s possible and increase people's skills and confidence. Today, we’re at the forefront of helping people adjust positively to spinal cord injury – because our support is provided by people who have been there and can understand. At Back Up, we’re here for people in their darkest hours – so they get back up to living life to the full.

Our culture and values

Where Back Up began and where we are now, may look far apart. But our values and our aspirations for people with spinal cord injury were the same in 1986 as they are today.

Mike Nemesvary, our founder, was a world champion freestyle skier with numerous TV and film appearances, including performing stunts on the James Bond film, A View to a Kill. Aged just 24, Mike’s life changed forever. During a routine training session on a trampoline, he landed awkwardly and broke his neck.

The impact on Mike and his loved ones was devastating. Not only was he paralysed from the shoulders down, he’d also lost his greatest love – skiing. But Mike was determined to change this.

Mike and friends close to him realised that there was still a way for Mike to get back up the mountain. And by getting back up, he would regain his zest for life and self belief. Within eight months, Mike was in Switzerland learning to sit ski. In 1986, with the help of our co-founders, Barbara Broccoli, Konrad Bartelski, Jess Stock, from the film and skiing industries, Mike set up Back Up so that everyone affected by spinal cord injury could experience the freedom and fun of life on the slopes that he enjoyed.

Since the first ski course we organised, Back Up has grown more than Mike, Barbara, Konrad and Jess could have ever dreamed. People with spinal cord injury of all ages including children are now supported with a range of services. We now offer wheelchair skills training, mentoring, and support getting back to school and work and help for families – reaching more than 1,000 people every year.

From help getting back to school or work to getting the most out of your wheelchair, all our services continue to deliver Mike’s vision. A world where everyone with a spinal cord injury can fulfil their potential.

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

One of our core values is to build inclusive communities. We want to ensure our everyday work practices and individual behaviours enable us to have a workforce and volunteer base which is reflective of the population that we serve.

Lived experience is central to our approach. The majority of our services team have lived experience of spinal cord injury and we are led by people affected by spinal cord injury. The majority of our board of trustees either have a spinal cord injury or have a family member with a spinal cord injury.

We have an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy and a Diversity and Inclusion group that drives forward initiatives to remove barriers to people engaging with Back Up.

Most importantly we are taking action.