Tom Brooks is running the London Marathon for Scinergise!

This year we were able to secure a place for the 2020 London Marathon and we are delighted to announce that Tom Brooks will be running and fundraising for Scinergise!

We are hugely grateful to Tom for taking up this challenge and we wish him all the best with his training and for race day!

If you would like to sponsor Tom you can find his fundraising page here.

Read Tom’s reasons for taking up the challenge below…

“Somewhat stupidly I’ve decided to run a marathon on my past-their-sell-by-date legs. The reason for this act of insanity is purely down to how compelled I am to action by the great work done by Scinergise.

Scinergise is a small charity run by volunteers with just one space for the London Marathon this year. It’s my honour to run for them, so I intend on making it a good one!

I’ve been lucky enough to see in great detail the amazing work these guys do to empower kids with spinal injuries. They do so by providing them and their families with the financial means to purchase products, services and/or experiences that can help improve their quality of life post-injury. The standard care process for anyone who suffers a spinal cord injury provided by the statutory authorities in the UK is fantastic in terms of providing the first-response care and rehabilitation to get these individuals re-introduced into society, however there is so much more that can be done to improve the physical and mental wellbeing of these people beyond this. This is even more true for young people with spinal cord injuries who are yet to grow and fully develop. Providing them additional care can make a huge difference to help them avoid any illness or further complication in the process.”

— Tom Brooks, Fundraiser

Scinergise 2019 Trustee Update, Year in Review

After Scinergise was officially registered as a charity in October 2018, we come to the end of our first full year. 2019 has been a very successful year with several fundraising events held ranging from dinners and socials to sporting events and competitions. In total we have raised over £40,000 allowing us to expand our reach and support more beneficiaries. We hope to continue to grow through-out 2020.

This year, we are very pleased to have supported 6 young children with spinal cord injuries. Our strong link with Neurokinex Kids, a centre that provides essential physio and rehab to children with spinal injuries, has allowed us to provide children with physiotherapy and activity-based rehab sessions across the UK. These sessions help to keep them fit and healthy and stop any further complications as they grow. In 2020 we will continue to provide these sessions and be adaptable to the needs of our beneficiaries. We are also reviewing options for providing children with spinal cord injuries the opportunity to be more active and involved in restrictive activities such as skiing and sailing.

We look forward to taking on more beneficiaries in 2020 and have been working closely with Stoke Mandeville hospital where there is a specialist children’s spinal ward. Their physios have referred children to us, and we also have leaflets on the ward to make families aware of us and the support we can offer. We will also be hosting a beneficiary day for the children and their families in July 2020, which will allow the children and parents to meet each other for a fun-filled day of activities.

One of the biggest fundraising events this year was our launch dinner at Denbies Wine Estate in May. The event was a big success with roughly 200 people in attendance and raising just under £20,000. We also had people running marathons in New York City and Shanghai as well as a team completing the 3 peaks challenge. Other sporting events included: a golf day at 1Putt in Esher, a NYE football tournament at Horsley football club and a 20/20 cricket match at Horsley cricket club. We have also received some Corporate donations from Mercer and Wavestone and will look to continue these relationships and expand our Corporate partnerships.

In 2020, we will be repeating some of these events including the golf day, football tournament and fundraising dinner and looking to expand to other activities and social events. If anyone is interested in doing a fundraiser on behalf of Scinergise then please let us know and we will be happy to support.  

Finally, a huge thank you to everyone who has helped, supported and donated to Scinergise during 2019. We are very excited for 2020 where we hope to continue to grow as a charity.

Thomas Quinn is running the NYC Marathon for Scinergise!

Thomas Quinn has committed to running the New York City Marathon in aid of Scinergise!

If you would like to sponsor Thomas, you can find his fundraising page here.

Read Thomas’ reasons for taking up this challenge below…

“As some of you may know I’m running the New York Marathon this year for a good friend Olly Carpenter’s charity, Scinergise.

The idea for the charity was formed following Olly’s own accident in October 2016 whilst working in New York. The months then spent in New York following the accident was to prepare Olly for a flight back to the UK to begin his rehabilitation. Upon arriving at Stanmore, Olly met Jasper in a rehab/physio gym, a 3-year-old child who had suffered very similar injuries in the preceding months. At that moment this put everything into perspective for Olly, he was so grateful that he had the opportunity to grow up playing football, tennis, totally unrestricted, and knew that the road ahead for Jasper wouldn’t be the same. So the idea behind Scinergise was born….

Scinergise aims to provide financial support to young people who have suffered spinal cord injuries so that they can improve their quality of life post-injury by purchasing products, services and/or experiences that do not fall under the remit of care provided by the statutory authorities in the UK.

It is our mission to empower young people with spinal cord injuries.

So far Scinergise has helped 4 families get essential physio / rehabilitation and aim to help out 10 families in the next 12 months whilst working with Stoke Mandevile spinal cord unit. ”

— Thomas Quinn, Fundraiser

Thomas at the Scinergise launch dinner

Meet Jasper!

Meet Scinergise beneficiary - Superman... sorry I mean Jasper! Read more on Jasper’s story and the rehabilitation that Scinergise sponsors him for below…

Jasper, 6, was fit and well before contracting Hand, Foot & Mouth disease at a Halloween party in October 2015. A rare complication saw this go to his heart and he was admitted to the Royal Brompton Hospital with dilated cardiomyopathy – an enlarged heart. Jasper was put on life support but when the doctors brought him around, he couldn’t move his legs: a blood clot had damaged his lower spinal cord and he was paralysed from the waist down.

Jasper was transferred to Stanmore and Stoke Mandeville spinal care units and was discharged in March 2016. During her research to find the best rehab for Jasper, his mother Kate came across the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation’s NeuroRecovery Network facility in Louisville, Kentucky. At the time their paediatric programme was offering cutting-edge therapies based on the latest advances in neurorestorative research, not yet available in the UK. There Jasper made significant improvements, but the family needed to find on-going therapy closer to home.

“Jasper and the family have been through so much, as I know you can both appreciate, and it is with the support of organisations such as Scinergise that make our new world a much less lonely, much more positive place to be.”

— Kate, Jasper's Mother

Fortuitously, in 2017 Neurokinex centre near Gatwick was chosen by the NeuroRecovery Network as its first and only affiliate outside of the US. Jasper and his family returned to the UK and approached The Neurokinex Charitable Trust with the idea of expanding to include a paediatrics programme, which opened its doors in April of 2018, called Neurokinex Kids. There Jasper continues in his recovery, against all odds, and is now even able to ride a bike with stabilisers. Due to his regular therapy programme, he has also avoided the myriad of secondary complications experienced by children living with paralysis, including scoliosis, hip dysplasia, stunted growth, bowel and bladder dysfunction, and pressure sores. As a result he Jasper been able to stay out of hospital and regain a much more ‘normal,’ active childhood thanks to Neurokinex Kids.

Scinergise x 1PUTT Golf Day 2019

On Saturday 27th July Scinergise hosted our inaugural Charity Golf Day at 1Putt Esher.

The event was a huge success with 58 golfers competing in 1Putt’s signature fun format, with “You Only Swing When You’re Winning” taking the crown after tense play-off process.

The event managed to raise over £1,000 for Scinergise!

Keep your eyes peeled for future Scinergise golf events. In the meantime, see some of the standout shots from the event below:

Wavestone Run the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge for Scinergise

This year was Wavestone’s first year taking part in the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge.

With 27 athletes, they painted the crowd purple with their Wavestone x Scinergise branded t-shirts.

Thanks to all who helped with the organisation & to all who participated!

Next year’s goal is to reach 30+ runners and for everyone to smash this year’s times.

Thanks you to all who supported Scinergise, helping us to raise £1,339!

Andy, Ned and Katherine complete the National Three Peaks Challenge for Scinergise!

A huge congratulations and thank you to Andy, Ned and Katherine for completing the national Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for Scinergise.

The team raised over £1,000 that we can use to empower the lives of more young people who have suffered spinal cord injuries!

We really appreciate the help!

East Horsley Cricket Club Host a T20 Match for Scinergise!

A massive thank you to East Horsley Cricket Club who recently hosted a thoroughly enjoyable T20 cricket match in aid of Scinergise. See below for the match report:

Horsley Cricket Club took advantage of the Summer Solstice falling on a Friday by hosting a charity T20 match against the Royal Surrey Hospital.

The money raised was for a charity called Scienrgise which helps to empower children and young adults with spinal cord injuries. The two co-founders both grew up in Horsley and have close ties with the cricket club. Scinergise contributes towards essential equipment, rehab and services to improve children and young adults lives post injury.

Despite rain earlier in the week, the weather was perfect for an evening of cricket. Royal Surrey batted first and managed to amass a competitive 130 thanks to a combination of unconventional bowling and text book cover drives. Several deliveries were dispatched out of the ground and into the gardens of local residents. Horsley made a strong start in retaliation before losing several wickets in close succession. However two of their batsman built a solid partnership which helped them to win the game with 4 balls to spare. A close and very entertaining game of cricket.

The evening was a huge success with over 50 tickets sold, a bbq and bar and plenty of cheering from the boundary. The total amount raised was £1373 and everyone is already looking forward to next years rematch.

Meet Imogen!

Meet Scinergise Beneficiary Imogen!

Imogen was 2 years old when she was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis. Imogen had gone to bed on a family trip away where she was recovering from a cold and in the morning Imogen couldn't walk. Imogen was diagnosed and transferred to Oxford to the John Radcliffe hospital where she was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis. Where Imogen's body had tried to fight off the infection of the cold her body has attacked itself causing spinal cord damage to the lower section of her back. This has been awful for a family, especially as this happened over night with no explanation as to why.

Imogen began treatment in hospital where she had a Plasma exchange and a IVIG treatment. Imogen was a real star and took this all in her stride never moaning and planning all the things she is going to do when she walks. Imogen also started physio in hospital with a fantastic physio called Carol. The physio has been the huge part in all of this and the progress has been amazing. By Christmas Imogen had started to crawl!

In June 2019 Scinergise began their beneficiary partnership with Imogen and her family by paying for Activyt based rehabilitation sessions at Neurokinex Kids

“We are so lucky to now have Scinergise supporting Imogen! we met Oliver and he was lovely. It means and helps so much! Thank you and check out their page for the great work they are doing to help other children ike Imogen”

— Holly, Imogen's Mother

Scinergise Launch Dinner

Scinergise Launch Dinner

On Saturday 4th May Scinergise hosted our launch dinner at Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking, Surrey.

The event was a huge success with nearly 200 attendees and over £17,000 raised for the charity.

Keep your eyes peeled for future Scinergise gala dinner events!

In the meantime, see some of the standout shots from the event, courtesy of Hayley Bray Photography

Freddy Tylicki Becomes Scinergise Ambassador

Former Jockey and current Sky Sports Racing Pundit Freddy Tylicki has agreed to become a Scinergise Ambassador, pledging his backing to the work that Scinergise are doing to empower young people with Spinal cord Injuries.

in 2016 Freddy sustained T7 paralysis when he fell from Nellie Dean in the four-horse pile-up that lead to the abandonment of the meeting at Kempton Park but his positive attitude has seen him adapt well to his new circumstances and begin careers in punditry and as an owner.

Freddy Tylicki speaking at the Scinergise Launch Dinner

New Year’s Eve Charity Football Match III - The Birth of Scinergise

The story of Scinergise dates back to 31/12/2016, 2 months after Scinergise Founding Trustee Oliver Carpenter had his spinal cord injury. Oliver’s lifelong friends, James Fox and Scinergise’s other Founding Trustee Ross Casserly, organised a charity football match at their hometown football club where they all played between the ages of 6-17.

The inaugural event saw many of Oliver’s old friends and teammates get together, dust off the boots and don the villiage colours in front of a crowd of 300+ people from the local area. The match raised money for Oliver, allowing him to purchase products and services to help him once discharged from his initial rehabilitation at Stanmore.

Following the success and enjoyment of the first event, the players agreed to make the New Year’s Eve charity match an annual tradition. The teams got back together on 31/12/2017 to play the match whilst also raising £265 for the Matt Hampson Foundation.

When Scinergise was established as a registered charity in 2018, Oliver and Ross couldn’t think of a better way to announce the new charity than at the third installment of the New Year’s Eve Charity Football match.

The teams were renamed to match some of the core values of Scinergise, with the red team taking the name “Energise” and the Oliver’s blue team named “Empower”. The game itself was the most hotly contested and enjoyable of the 3 years, but ended with a 2-1 victory for Empower with crowd favourite Nicholas Edwards bagging the winning goal and tthe man of the match award.

Not only was the game competative and fun for all involved, the players also dug into their pockets to raise a kick off total of £685 donated to Scinergise. A huge thank you to all and see you next year!