Neurokinex Step Up Appeal raises over £50,000 to safeguard vital spinal cord injury services

Alfie and Freddie ready to step up

Neurokinex, a specialist spinal cord and brain injury rehabilitation charity, has successfully raised £52,850.49 to safeguard its scheme that supports people with a newly acquired spinal cord injury.

The Newly Injured Scheme awards six free sessions to newly injured or diagnosed clients. A lifeline for many, it gives them access to the unique Neurokinex services that can have life-changing results.  However, it costs the Neurokinex Charitable Trust £420 per person to fulfil and loss of income during lockdown put the scheme at serious risk of closure.

Laura with Wendy at the end of her run

In a bid to protect its Newly Injured Scheme, Neurokinex launched a two-month Step Up Appeal to raise £25,000.  By doubling that target, Neurokinex has saved its Newly Injured Scheme ensuring newly injured people can access its services now lockdown has lifted.

Damien Riley walking 2.5m to complete his fundraising triathlon challenge

A mighty £28,322.56 was raised by six Neurokinex clients aged two to 49 who set themselves a range of personal challenges to help protect the service that helped them.  Two homemade devices, incredible support and solidarity and not a little ingenuity came into play!

Ralph with his Home Made Leg Press

Toddler Ralph, 2, completed 100 leg presses on a contraption built by his grandfather while Rob, 26, rowed 16.25 miles on a customized rowing machine devised from an upside down bicycle, curtain pole and pulley despite being paralysed from the neck down and dependent on a ventilator to breathe. Laura walked 10K using her crutches which inspired her friend Wendy to then run 68km to boost the fund raising.  Damian completed a ‘sprint triathlon’ by lifting weights to ‘swim’, cycling on an exercise bike and walking laps of his local park on the one-year anniversary of his cycling accident. Alfie, 5, dressed as a superhero to cover over 30km self-propelling his wheelchair round (and round!) his garden and along nearby country lanes (ably supported by his 2-year-old brother Freddie running alongside). Finally, another plucky youngster Oscar, 6, covered a similar distance by pushing his wheelchair, using his walking frame and cycling on his trike.

The other funds were raised through a combination of individual donations and a charity auction.

“I am absolutely astounded and delighted by the response we had to our Step  Up  Appeal, especially  from our clients who set themselves incredible challenges to give back to a service that means so much to them,” says Harvey Sihota, Neurokinex founder and director.

“The sheer generosity of their spirit and the donations from 100s of sponsors has blown me away – especially considering the difficult times everyone is facing physically and financially.  It was a massive team effort by my colleagues, clients, friends of the charity and our PR agency whose collaboration and dedication made this possible.

“I can’t tell you how relieved I am that our Newly Injured Scheme is secured for another 12 months: we have already welcomed new clients who waited patiently during lockdown in the hope we could help them.  Thank you to everyone involved.”

To find out more about the Neurokinex Step Up Appeal and Client Challenges visit: https://neurokinex.org/step-up-appeal/