Wheelchair Alliance Teams Up with RFU IPF

A community interest company that champions the needs of wheelchair users has announced a three-year funding partnership with the RFU (Rugby Football Union) Injured Players Foundation (IPF).

As part of the new partnership, the IPF will provide grant funding to support the Wheelchair Alliance’s ‘United Voices’ project, which aims to establish a strong, unified national voice for the estimated 1.2 million wheelchair users across the UK to improve services and access.

The project will create a new national wheelchair user council of wheelchair users from diverse backgrounds who will represent specific geographical areas at a national level.

The new group will represent the entire UK, including devolved nations, which will be utilised to inform and shape its strategic and tactical decisions.

In addition, the Alliance will use the funding to conduct national listening exercises to shape its agenda and priorities, while working to connect wheelchair users and coordinate action.

A national campaign will also be launched to raise awareness and provide a resource to inform and influence policy makers, service providers and local authorities.

“Despite the significant population of wheelchair users nationwide, until now there has been no unified structure that represents their collective interests nationally,” said Nick Goldup, CEO of the Wheelchair Alliance.

“This has led to fragmented service provision, policy gaps, and persistent inequalities, with some wheelchair users waiting up to four years for assessments, repairs or suitable wheelchairs.

“By creating the first coordinated UK wide platform through the ‘United Voices’ project, the Alliance aims to promote equity and drive systemic change through inclusive representation, evidence-led independent research, and the co-creation of policies and recommendations that will ensure wheelchair users nationwide get the right chair at the right time.

“Through the ‘United Voices’ project, supported by the RFU Injured Players Foundation, we aim to empower wheelchair users to influence decisions at the highest levels of national policy.”

The IPF is England Rugby's official charity and supports players from any level of the game who have sustained an acute life-changing injury while playing rugby union in England.

With 150 members, the support it gives includes immediate support in hospital alongside emotional, practical and financial assistance. This includes funding for additional rehabilitation or housing adaptations and specialised equipment, including access to appropriate wheelchair provision.

For more information about the Wheelchair Alliance, visit https://www.wheelchair-alliance.co.uk/