We were delighted to host a small garden party at STEPS on the 20th August 2021, to celebrate the end of summer with our clients, team and colleagues.
On the day, we held a charity tea party to raise money for Horatio’s Garden, a national charity who create and nurture beautiful gardens in NHS spinal injury centres across the UK. Raffle prizes were kindly donated by Stewarts Law, Scala, Slater + Gordon, Blatchford, The Framery and Thor Assistive Technologies, and an impressive £382 was raised on the day.
A huge thank you to everyone who donated!
Our talented kitchen team cooked and served
the most delicious BBQ and baked lemon
drizzle cake, chocolate brownies and
shortbread for the afternoon tea.
The Sheffield Forever Steel Band brought Caribbean sunshine and music to the event.
We were also able to unveil our new garden room, which has been recently completed, and is in a quiet spot in our fully accessible garden. The garden room has been purpose built, and provides a calming space, where we can deliver psychology and psychological therapies, which form a vital part of our clients’ rehabilitation programmes.
Ambassadors
To celebrate our 4th anniversary, we have launched the ‘STEPS Ambassadorship’ for individuals who inspire and help others.
Since opening STEPS, experience has shown us just how powerful positive role models can be in making a genuine difference to clients on their rehabilitation journey.
Every June on our anniversary, we will announce the STEPS Ambassadors for the 12 months ahead.
We are delighted to announce our Ambassadors for 2021:
Ed is a former client of STEPS, he came to us for intensive rehabilitation in September 2018 following a spinal cord injury.
“I arrived at STEPS motivated but far from the goals I wanted to try and achieve. I made progress that I only could have made in such a supportive and positive environment, and returned home equipped with the skills, the confidence, and the mental and physical health I needed to re-join a society with many more challenges than the one I had left. I’m so lucky to have had that journey. I try to be a role model for committing to the process, believing in it, and getting results in my personal and my public life; representing STEPS is a natural extension to that; the people at STEPS have been and still are a huge part of my recovery and I’m so proud to be a part of what they’ve accomplished.
Whilst representing STEPS, I hope to show people what can be done if you have access to the right support and rehabilitation. For each life changing injury, you need life changing rehabilitation, and STEPS offers just that; I am just one example of many. I am excited to provide resources and a framework to support clients who are in a position that I was in not too long ago, using my experience and medical background, to maximise the potential of everyone who passes through STEPS.”
Dr Isabel Allsop
Isabel (Izzy) is the fiancé of Ed. She spent many weekends travelling to and staying at STEPS to support Ed during his period of intensive residential rehabilitation.
“I saw first-hand how much progress he made, how much happier he was and how much support he had. But I realise now how much support I had, from great food and having somewhere to sleep, to having the opportunity to speak to other people in my position, being involved in decision-making and planning our future, and being surrounded by positive people. Being able to represent and endorse STEPS and all it provides was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down.
The difficulties of someone with a life changing injury or condition are often obvious and are treated with urgency, as they should be. But in the chaos the people closest to the injured, who are trying desperately to support their loved one, are often overlooked. Whether it’s a parent, partner, or friend, they need help too. I’ve seen what STEPS can do for both the clients and the people around them, and I hope to show what STEPS can provide those who need it, and that you can be happy and get back to living after significant injury or setback. After all, that’s what rehabilitation is all about.”
David is a former client of STEPS; he came to us for a period of intensive rehabilitation after surviving an ischaemic stroke at the age of just 27.
“To me, an ambassador should represent the core values of the organisation they are an ambassador to. They should strive to represent and evolve the foundational principles of the organisation.
I hope to inspire and motivate people whose lives have been changed due to injury and remind them of the rewards that await the people who don’t throw the towel in!”
“I’ve been lucky enough to work as a marketing and PR consultant at STEPS since 2018. During that time, I’ve been privileged to meet the most incredible people whose lives have been turned upside down following a severe injury or illness. What never fails to amaze me is how courageous people are in facing what has happened to them. There is a lot of laughter, and a shared determination to maximise the rehabilitation potential.
It’s an honour to be asked to be an ambassador. I’m looking forward to removing my marketing-hat for a bit and being involved with STEPS in a different kind of way. There is extraordinary kindness shown between clients, families, and staff which engenders a nurturing and empowering atmosphere. Everyone has a part to play in making STEPS such a special and inspiring place to be, I’m hoping my year-long role as an ambassador will allow me to see another side of STEPS and help in a different way.
I’d like to do some volunteer work at STEPS and go more behind the scenes. I plan on meeting with the other ambassadors too, some of whom have been cared for by STEPS, to explore how we can make a difference.”
“I first met the team at STEPS back in 2017 immediately prior to the opening. In my role as an Investment Director for Mercia Assert Management focused on deploying the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund across Yorkshire & Humber, I look to seek out those SME businesses that have strong growth capabilities to support.
Beyond that growth capability it is the STEPS culture and mindset that struck me the most – and ever since I have been a supporter and advocate of the team and the great work they do, on behalf of their clients.
I want to help support the team in strengthening the profile of the incredible work they do with Clients to lead to the long-term success of the business, Secondly and just as importantly regarding that profile strengthening, to help increase the awareness of the quality of rehabilitation care that is available right here in the Region, for the benefit of Clients and their families who may have previously had to travel long distance to receive this quality of care.
During my time as an ambassador, I will work alongside the team at STEPS with a view of helping them establish links in my own network that may support the business to achieve its long-term plans and objectives.”
The Ambassadors have already met and have exciting plans for the next 12 months!!