Redefining Resilience: How Back Up Trust connects people affected by spinal cord injury

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The continuous positive feedback we've received has been so rewarding

My mentor has been an absolutely amazing support to me. She is a very caring lady and I am truly grateful I had the opportunity to have her as my mentor. She has helped me massively and supported me in my time of need.

I am having conversations with my mentor every two to three weeks. I am talking about new challenges that come with SCI with her and she has been invaluable in boosting my confidence to try new things and start to do the things I used to. I learn something in every conversation. She is an absolute tonic!

Talking with my mentor about what is still possible has been a real boost, Radar key for toilets has been a real boon, talking about her & her husband starting to attend festivals and even going on a tall ship cruise as crew has given me & my partner lots to discuss about our NEW normal future.

“My mentor isn’t just a mentor, he’s a friend. We talked about caring, the extra thinking we have to do, and how life changes. It’s nice to talk to someone who truly understands.”

Every year in the UK, around 4,400 people sustain or are diagnosed with a spinal cord injury (SCI). For many, this life-altering moment brings not just physical challenges but also emotional and social isolation. Only one in five people will be admitted to a specialist SCI centre, leaving thousands of individuals and their families without access to vital peer support.

Back Up, a national charity dedicated to supporting people affected by SCI, recognised that mentoring could be a lifeline — offering connection, shared experience, and hope. Today, with Mentorloop powering their programme, Back Up is reaching more people than ever before, including family members and young people, helping them see what’s possible beyond injury.

From Spreadsheets to Scalable Support

Before Mentorloop, Back Up managed its mentoring programme through in-house spreadsheets. Coordinators had to rely on personal knowledge of volunteers to make matches, and tracking outcomes was time-consuming and often inaccurate. For a service that depended on data to demonstrate impact and secure funding, this was unsustainable.

Since moving to Mentorloop in 2022, the process has become smoother, more transparent, and easier to manage. Mentor profiles streamline matching, while real-time reporting and sentiment tracking provide powerful insights into participant experience. This shift has freed up the team to focus on what really matters: supporting people and families rebuilding their lives after SCI.

Real Impact, Real Stories

The heart of Back Up’s mentoring programme is the transformation mentees experience when they connect with someone who “gets it.” Whether newly injured or living with SCI for years, mentees consistently report feeling less alone, more confident, and better equipped to move forward.

In 2023–24, Back Up supported 221 people through mentoring (up from 203 the previous year), with 84% reporting an increase in at least 5 of 7 positive coping strategies.
In 2024–25, the charity expanded further, establishing 397 peer connections through structured mentoring and Backup Connect, a new one-off lived experience service for practical topics like travel, care, and pain management.
Already in 2025–26, 61 new matches have been made — putting Back Up firmly on track for its goal of 230 matches this year.

One mentee shared:

“Thanks to my mentor’s tips and encouragement, I landed a good job. We only had two sessions, but I still want to continue working with her. She always asked the right questions to give me clarity about my next steps.”

This feedback, captured easily through Mentorloop’s sentiment tools, gives the Back Up team daily reminders of the life-changing impact of their work.

Building Inclusive Communities

Inclusion sits at the core of Back Up’s values, and their mentoring programme reflects this. The team has tailored their approach to reach diverse groups:

These innovations are ensuring that no one who could benefit from mentoring is left behind.

The Role of Mentorloop

Mentorloop has been pivotal in helping Back Up scale and sustain its mentoring services:

“Mentorloop supports our strategy of digital growth and effective communication, giving us the infrastructure to handle increased demand without sacrificing quality.”

Looking Ahead

Back Up’s five-year strategy is focused on evolution, not revolution. By 2030, they aim to deliver:

The vision is simple: build stronger, more inclusive mentoring communities that give people and families affected by SCI the confidence, tools, and support to thrive.

Back Up has transformed its mentoring programme with Mentorloop, supporting hundreds of people and families affected by spinal cord injury each year. With improved matching, scalable infrastructure, and real-time impact tracking, Back Up is delivering life-changing connections that build confidence, independence, and inclusive communities across the UK.

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“Mentorloop has transformed the way we run our mentoring programme. Matching is smoother, data is clearer, and the feedback tools mean we can see the impact every single day. It’s freed us up to focus on people, not admin.”

– Family Support Coordinator, Back Up Trust