Inclusive Society
London Academy of Excellence – September 2024
Patron welcomed students from the London Academy of Excellence (LAE) – Stratford and Eton College to its offices for an inspiring session with Patron MD Keith Breslauer. Keith shared insights on overcoming life’s challenges, building resilience in business, and navigating difficult situations. The students gained a firsthand perspective on the professional environment, work-life balance, and the importance of community involvement. They asked thoughtful questions about the business, the future of Patron, and our shared civic responsibilities. Known for its outstanding results and strong focus on social mobility, LAE works closely with partner schools like Eton College to offer students invaluable opportunities and mentoring.
Erez Foundation, March 2024 event
The Erez Foundation is a non-profit organisation focused on the physical and mental rehabilitation, as well as the social independence, of disabled soldiers, athletes, and children.
Using extreme sports such as snow skiing, kayaking, cycling and climbing, the Foundation offers individualised programs that promote personal empowerment. Its mission is centred on fostering rehabilitation, strength, independence, and social integration, helping participants learn to live with physical and mental challenges.
The Foundation is led by Eyal Yarimi, who serves on a completely voluntary basis, alongside around 100 certified professional instructors volunteering in various activities. By harnessing the expertise of its members, the Foundation supports individuals facing challenges through outdoor adventures and adaptive sports, promoting resilience and encouraging community inclusion.
In March 2024, Patron took the lead in supporting a four-week rehabilitation ski trip to Bulgaria, bringing essential relief and renewed hope to 162 children from communities impacted by the events of 7 October 2023.
Ella Mae Warren gives talk at the Greatness Lecture – March 2024
Patron recently hosted Ella Mae Warren, Chair of Whizz Kidz, who highlighted the significant challenges faced by wheelchair users, including marginalisation and the impact that this can have to essential resources. She emphasised the urgent need for meaningful action and to advocate for a nationwide response for a more inclusive world.
Ella’s resilience was deeply inspiring, yet what resonated most was ‘disability tax’, that is difficulty in everyday tasks that many of us take for granted, like commuting to work or cooking, which pose significant barriers for wheelchair users. With an estimated 75,000 young people in the UK relying on wheelchairs, many don’t have access to the equipment they need, which can cause social isolation and limited opportunities.
The evening underscored the vital impact in advocating for accessibility and inclusion. Since inception, Whizz Kidz has transformed lives by providing over 10,000 young people with wheelchairs and offered training and support to more than 20,000 individuals to encourage greater independence.
Lee Spencer gives talk at The Greatness Lecture Event, December 2024
In January 2014, while assisting a motorist on the motorway, Lee was struck by debris from a car accident and lost his right leg below the knee. Lee talked about the challenges he has faced throughout his life and military career and how, undeterred by his injury, his dreams continue to drive him toward extraordinary feats of endurance. Among these are:
- 2019 Solo Atlantic Row: Lee became the first physically disabled person to row solo and unsupported from mainland Europe to mainland South America, completing the journey in only 60 days. 36 days faster than his able-bodied predecessor!
- 2024 Row4Ukraine Initiative: Lee, with a team of British and Ukrainian wounded and injured servicemen, will row 3,000 miles from the Canary Islands to Barbados. The transatlantic row is to raise awareness for the human cost of the war in Ukraine and to generate funds for the rehabilitation for Ukrainian personnel.
The Row4Ukraine initiative exemplifies resilience, unity, and the transformative power of sport in rehabilitation, bringing together servicemen from different nations to support a common cause.
