CFG Law take part in Wheels at Work

CFG Law have spent a working day in a wheelchair to help improve quality of life for people paralysed by spinal cord injury.

Inspired by their experiences of helping people who have sustained a spinal injury, the 70 strong team at CFG Law in Cheadle took part in Wheels at Work, the campaign run by national charity, Stoke Mandeville Spinal Research (SMSR).

Wheels at Work invites participants in businesses, schools and colleges across the UK to carry out their usual working day in a wheelchair (supplied for free by mobility company Gerald Simonds). In doing so, they raise money for vital research and gain a small insight into the lives of the 40,000 people living with spinal cord injury in the UK today, due to accident or illness.

The team at CFG Law took part in a range of activities throughout the day, including mini functional assessments, which imitated their usual arrival to the office, including accessing the building, signing in, hanging up coats and making a drink in wheelchairs to show the difficulties faced by people on a day to day basis.

Claire Cully, Trainee Solicitor at CFG Law commented, “The mini assessments really made you consider everyday tasks you don’t think twice about doing, and how difficult these things would be if you suddenly found yourself in a wheelchair. Simple things like carrying a cup of coffee back to your desk become an issue and make you appreciate how even the small mundane tasks you carry out are affected.”

Staff also competed against one another in a timed trial obstacle course in wheelchairs, with the winning staff member crowned as champion. The obstacle course invited staff to weave between cones before a sprint finish. 

A total of £232 was raised by staff through donations, a raffle and a fun bake-off competition, with CFG Law matching the amount raised, to bring the grand total to £464.

Charlotte Minoprio, SMSR’s Fundraising Manager, said: “We are incredibly grateful to the whole team at CFG Law for organising a great day of activities and fundraising. Wheels at Work is about raising awareness as well as funds, and every pound raised will help to fund our pioneering research and move us closer to our goal of putting an end to the chronic medical complications and day-to-day difficulties faced by those living with paralysis.”

Philip Coulthurst, Head of Serious Injury at CFG Law said: “The work Stoke Mandeville Spinal Research does to improve the lives of people who have suffered a spinal injury is invaluable. The Wheels at Work day is a great way for us to raise awareness amongst our team of the difficulties faced by people after they have sustained a spinal injury and also help raise money to go towards further research. The mini functional assessments were a great way to get staff to consider all aspects of a wheelchair user’s day, and the timed trials brought the competitive side out in members of staff and were a great way to get people involved. ”

Follow the link to take part in Wheels at Work: or email fundraising@smsr.org.uk