Blog
Behind the scenes at Downing Street…
A day we won’t forget by Dharshana Sridhar (SIA public affairs lead)
What a moment! On Monday, our public affairs team stood outside one of the most recognisable doors in the world, a place many of us had only ever seen on TV, or visited as a child, on trips to London. This time, we were there for real, representing the spinal cord injury community at the heart of Government. The sun was bright, the wind was freezing, and the whole moment felt bigger than any photo can show.
We were there to deliver SIA’s petition on behalf of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Spinal Cord Injury to 10 Downing Street, calling for a National Spinal Cord Injury Strategy. But behind the historic moment were some very human ones too. We were joined by the Chair of the APPG for Spinal Cord Injury, Andy McDonald MP, and the Vice-Chair, John Glen MP, along with SIA Ambassadors Dani Czernuszka-Watts and Zoe Fox, our Chair, CEO and Director of Programmes. Spirits were high, hopes of meeting Larry the resident cat were even higher (although that hope was sadly dashed), and there was a real sense of doing something meaningful.
It was a proud, symbolic day for SIA and a reminder of how far our influencing work has come. For many gathered there, this was a once-in-a-career highlight. For a few, it was something else too: a moment of déjà vu, returning to a building that held so many memories, but this time, on behalf of the SCI community.
We left proud, energised, and even more determined. With the petition delivered, we now continue our engagement with Government and the NHS to turn this momentum into real, lasting change for spinal cord injured people.
This achievement belongs to all of us, and more importantly, to every person with a spinal cord injury who deserves coordinated, specialist, person centred care
It’s not a movie set! by SIA ambassador Zoe Fox
I never imagined a scenario where I’d find myself at Downing Street, but yesterday that happened, and it couldn’t have happened with a more wonderful group of people. We went to hand in the recommendations for a national spinal cord injury strategy, with the hope of improving the quality of life for spinal cord–injured people in the years to come.
When you’ve known spinal cord injury, you understand the challenges, the pain, and the sheer amount you have to overcome. All you can ever really wish for is that the path ahead becomes a little easier for those who are yet to be injured. When you’re newly injured it feels like you’re being plunged in to a dark abyss and a little light at the end of the tunnel is everything.
For me, spinal cord injury became an initiation into my best self, even though it took me to my most painful lows. It stretched and expanded me in the most unexpected and beautiful ways, and now I get to be an ambassador for this incredible charity.
Together, we’re helping to remove obstacles and create smoother pathways, so others can spend less time fighting and more time thriving. There is so much strength in collaboration! Find your people and go forth and make a change
