Standing Start is a rehabilitation centre that specialises in exercise therapy for people with a spinal cord injury. Our aim is to maximise the potential of our patients through structured rehabilitation programmes following discharge from an NHS specialist centre. .Our patients have both complete and incomplete injuries some of which are tetraplegic but a significantly higher percentage are paraplegic patients. As some of its key components Standing Start provides standing therapy, gait re-education, exercise conditioning, 8 channel functional electrical stimulation (upper body and lower limb), righting reaction reinforcement, core stability training, balance and coordination, cardiovascular fitness, weight bearing exercises and full / partial weight bearing vibration therapy. .All of our patients have seen improvements in their function but no two injuries, irrespective of levels, are the same. One case of a C5 level patient (5 years post injury) initially diagnosed as complete is now incomplete and has progressed from no motor function below level of injury to completing 200 meters walking with close supervision. This is probably our most successful example of increase functional activity to date. We also have a young T1 complete gentleman who is now able to sit upright and cut his food independently following an extensive core stability exercise programme.

As we can improve our funding this will allow patients to continue with the exercise regime which has so far improved levels of function, allow them to improve activities of daily living and reduce the financial burden on the NHS with improved fitness levels. Standing Start provides that focused fitness and exercise opportunity for them. Funds raised will go towards equipment as well as financial support for individuals to undertake the programme.