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TOC announces partnership with Back Up at Soros Fund Management LLC sponsored House of Commons event

Posted by Taina Slenderbroek on 28th June 2024

London, Friday 28th June: The October Club officially launched its partnership with this year's chosen charity, Back Up, at the House of Commons yesterday. The event was hosted by The Rt Hon. the Baroness Bottomley of Nettlestone, along with Samantha Huggins, Chair of The October Club. It was attended by Back Up trustees and other representatives, as well as the committee and key supporters of The October Club. The evening was kindly sponsored by Soros Fund Management LLC. 

Each year since its launch in 1987, The October Club committee has chosen a UK-based charity with a transformational project to benefit from its fundraising activities. To date, it has raised nearly £16 million for 36 charities, including last year's £660,000 raised in aid of Schoolreaders. 

In 2024, The October Club will raise funds for the national roll-out of Back Up's bespoke support packages for people with a spinal cord injury. For almost 40 years, Back Up has helped people and their families rebuild their lives after a devastating spinal cord injury, challenging perceptions of what is possible. This expansion project, based on a successful three-year pilot study, will enable it to reach many more injured people by extending its programme from NHS specialist centres to all 33 of the UK's major trauma centres.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with Back Up in support of its expansion into trauma centres across the United Kingdom" said Samantha Huggins, Chair of The October Club. "Back Up's practical services are designed and delivered by people affected by a spinal cord injury and they have been proven to be incredible successful in increasing injured individuals' skills and confidence. These services are desperately needed throughout the nation." 

Abigail Lock, CEO of Back Up Trust, added: "Our partnership with The October Club comes at a critical time. Almost four out of five people sustaining a spinal cord injury do not get to specialist NHS centres. Your support will be an absolute game changer, enabling us to scale our services to reach many more people that need our support."