Aspire is a charity providing practical help for people paralysed by spinal cord injuries.

Focused on research, rehabilitation and integration, it puts its own organisation at the heart of its mission. More than a quarter of staff at its Aspire Leisure Centre (ASL) are disabled, and the charity actively seeks applicants with disabilities throughout its operations.

ASL – recognised as the international standard for inclusion in the leisure industry – was Europe's first fully-accessible leisure centre for disabled and non-disabled people. It also hosts the London Spinal Cord Injury rehabilitation department.

Aspire has many more strings to its bow. It works through a dedicated centre at UCL, developing tech to improve people's quality of life. It also helps people with spinal injuries across the UK and Ireland live independently through independent living advisors, accessible housing and other services.

Aspire has helped more than 50,000 people over the past 40 years and it's looking to spread its learnings and the experiences of its employees through recently published guides for the leisure industry. These include employing disabled people, providing inclusive training and, for disabled people themselves, training and working in the leisure industry.

By sharing case studies and impact reports, Aspire employees see the difference they make every day. Their enthusiasm and dedication are supported through flexible working, opportunities to be active, and initiatives to protect their mental health.