Irwin Mitchell launches 'Don’t Quit, Do It' to highlight disability sport benefits
Specialist serious injury lawyers Irwin Mitchell have launched a new campaign to highlight the benefits of sport in helping people recover from serious injuries and other major traumas in their lives. Don't Quit, Do It aims to support disabled people to be active and reap the benefits of a more active lifestyle.
Irwin Mitchell help people to access rehabilitation programmes to help them make progress in their recovery so that they can live as independently as possible. There are 9.4m disabled people in England but only one in six takes part in sport regularly, and Irwin Mitchell hopes that the campaign will also encourage more people to get involved.
Experts at the law firm find that sport is often a good way to not only help with physical aspects of rehabilitation but also help people who are managing a newly acquired impairment. Many of their clients want to get involved in new activities.
Launched to coincide with National Paralympic Day (26 July), the ‘Don’t Quit, Do It’ campaign features a series of videos of disabled people who have used sport to maintain an active lifestyle post-injury. They include wheelchair badminton, amputee cycling, rowing and horse riding.
Those featured in the video have all been injured in some way and have instructed Irwin Mitchell to support their rehabilitation programmes. Some are now even competing at a high level in elite sport and represent Great Britain in various disability competitions.
A promo video also features a poem voiced by Giles Long MBE who is one of the most successful Paralympic swimmers of our time and a supporter of the campaign.
Neil Whiteley, head of the serious injury team at Irwin Mitchell, said:
“We work to obtain support in the form of specialist physical therapy, rehabilitation and where possible access to sports and gym facilities and personal trainers to help people on their journey to improve their quality of life. We passionately believe in investing in physical and mental wellbeing is a key component of life after a major injury or illness.
“Don’t Quit, Do it, is about encouraging and inspiring people get involved in sport and to show that there is help and support out there for people who need it. Our research shows that specialist rehabilitation following serious injuries can have a massive positive effect on those involved, helping them to become more independent and often significantly reducing the burden on the NHS and benefits systems.”
Giles Long said:
“The Paralympics is at the pinnacle of sport, but at its core sport is about enjoyment and it’s about each and every person progressing in a way that is both challenging and rewarding.”
Irwin Mitchell is also working with double world champion wheelchair racer Hannah Cockroft, MBE, as she seeks to qualify for the Rio Paralympics. She won two gold medals at the London 2012 Paralympic Games and will be competing at the 2015 IPC World Athletics Championships in Doha in October.
Hannah, who has cerebral palsy, said:
“Disability sport is currently more popular than ever and hopefully if I keep doing what I’m doing I can be a role model for people who might be struggling to understand what their aims and ambitions should be.”
Irwin Michell's campaign page feature the English Federation of Disability Sport's events listings. Disabled people and their friends and family often use these events pages to find an activity right for them.
If you are interested in being more active, our Being Active guide is a great place to start.
More information on the Irwin Mitchell campaign and videos can be found on their website here.
