The Aspire Human Needs Fund is there to help people with spinal injuries purchase the equipment they need to be independent. For Stuart, the grant Aspire gave him ultimately meant that he and his young family can do things together again:
 
“I had been using a wheelchair at the hospital and it was very hard for me to push about; to be honest, I was struggling quite a bit. I have trouble with hand movement and the chair I had just didn’t work for me.

“I met Paul, the Aspire Independent Living Advisor at the Sheffield Spinal Injury Centre, when I was there. He told me about the Human Needs Fund and that I probably had a good chance of getting funding for a lightweight wheelchair. I applied and was successful and now use my new wheelchair for everything. It’s even lighter than I expected it would be, which means I have more independence and that there are more possibilities of what I can do.

“I dread to think what it would be like if I didn’t have this wheelchair now. It’s my legs... it’s like everything else that’s a part of me and the only way I can get around. Without it, I’d be stuck indoors unless somebody physically pushed me.

“I’ve got two kids; a son who is now five and my daughter who is only two years old, so she’s still using a pushchair. The light wheelchair means I can go out with them. My partner can’t push me around and the pushchair as well, so the lighter chair has helped us a great deal. Now we all go out together as a family.”

This year, Aspire will have awarded a record amount of grants, supporting people like Stuart and ensuring that they can get on with their lives and do those things that most of us take for granted. But we also know that demand continues to rise and that 2011 will see ever more requests for help from those with spinal cord injuries.