Shine news
25th October 2019
The national charity provides free membership and specialist support for anyone living with spina bifida and / or hydrocephalus. And they’re asking their members and supporters to raise awareness of spina bifida – which occurs in one in 1580 pregnancies when the spinal column fails to close – by making a #BackToFront pledge on social media to bring the ‘back to the front’ of people’s minds and tell someone about living life with the condition.
They hope to make it clear that although they may face additional challenges, those with spina bifida are not defined by their diagnosis. In fact, they can lead full and rewarding lives, and set their own limits just like anyone else.
Back To Front events are being held all over England, Wales and Northern Ireland to raise funds for wearing clothes back to front for a day, or even the week, during the awareness week. In doing so members and supporters will be helping Shine continue to reach out to over 12,000 members who benefit from its services.
Details of how you can get involved in raising awareness of spina bifida by making a #BackToFront pledge, along with helpful resources and the chance to win a £50 Amazon voucher (T&Cs apply) can be found at shinecharity.org.uk/backtofront.
Director of Fundraising and Marketing, Teresa Hicks, says:
“We’ve worked with our members to understand what they want people to know about living with spina bifida. It’s a complex condition and it would be fair to say that no two experiences are exactly the same. But the common theme throughout was that people with spina bifida want to tell the world that they can do every-day things, just in different ways.
“Of course there are challenges, but we hope to share the message that with the right support and expertise – such as the services offered by Shine – we can tackle these and live as full-a-life as possible.”
Shine will also be launching a Hydrocephalus Awareness Week on Friday 7 February 2020.