Superman charity aids county

A Shropshire centre for people revovering from spinal injuries has been awarded a cash grant from the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation.

The Midlands Centre for Spinal Injuries, based at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic and District Hospital in Oswestry, has been given a quality of life grant for £2,600.

The foundation was set up by the late actor, best known for his title role in the Superman movies. It is dedicated to finding treatments and cures for paralysis caused by spinal cord injury and other neurological disorders.

Christopher Reeve set up the foundation after suffering spinal injuries in a horse-riding accident in 1995.

He went on to be a tireless campaigner for research into spinal cord injuries before his death from a heart attack in 2004, at the age of 52.

The grant will help fund the development and pilot of a peer sexual counsellor role, expanding the existing role of the hospital trust's peer counsellor, based in the Midlands Centre.

Role

His role will include sexual, fertility and relationship counselling for those who have suffered a life-changing spinal injury.

Mary Watkins, who is assistant psychologist at the hospital, said: "Steve McCormack is the only trained male peer counsellor working in spinal injuries in the UK.

"Steve is a qualified counsellor working in the Midlands Centre for Spinal Injuries.

"The grant will enable Steve to commence specialist training in sexual counselling to help the sexual rehabilitation project with spinal injury patients," she added.

Shropshire is one of 90 organisations from around the world to receive a grant from the foundation, which was set up to help improve the day-to-day health and well-being of those living with a spinal injury.

The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic and District Hospital NHS Trust is one of the country's leading specialist hospitals.

It provides orthopaedic and musculoskeletal services.