Events
Summer Fayre
Summer Fayre Our annual Summer Fayre is back for 2023 with a huge range of activities, performances and stalls including food & drinks from around
Discover the journey and experiences of our founder, Joseph English, since his catastrophic accident in 2017 and how that led to the formation of Quad-Rebuild. Here’s the story in Joseph’s own words.
Read the story of Quad-Rebuild’s founder, Joseph English. Discover his journey and experiences since his catastrophic accident in 2017 and how this led to the creation of ‘Quad-Rebuild’
My dad was always my hero. As a child, I used to love accompanying him to work in the school holidays, or just tinkering around at home, fixing and building things. My dad was a very hard worker, he instilled in me a formidable work ethic and passion for everything I do.
Unfortunately, after losing my license I became reliant on other people to drive me around. On 19th November 2017, my brother was driving us to view a piece of land. I was asleep in the passenger seat, and had made the mistake of not wearing my seatbelt. A mistake I hope others will learn from. My brother fell asleep at the wheel, the van then veered off the road and hit a tree. I was airlifted to Leeds General Infirmary and taken immediately to Intensive Care. The doctors and medical staff didn’t expect me to survive past 24 hours, as I had suffered catastrophic spinal injuries.
Over the years and with the right drive and determination, I had started to build up a reputable construction company. I did, however, struggle to balance my work and personal life, and became somewhat of a workaholic. I did have a massive passion for the work we were doing, and every day I sought to increase and improve my knowledge and expertise in the field. I have now transferred the knowledge and skills I gained in construction into the work we do at Quad-Rebuild.
I was airlifted to Leeds general hospital intensive care (my accident was on 999 rescue). The doctors said I would not make it through the first 24hours. I wouldn’t give up so easily, however, and surpassed all the doctors expectations. After 7 weeks in intensive care, I had built up enough strength to move to the Sheffield Spinal Injury Unit where I spent 11 months in rehab adapting to my new life. At times I found it hard to carry on, but I found the drive and determination from my loved ones and those around me in the Spinal Unit who refused to give up.
My dad was always my hero. As a child, I used to love accompanying him to work in the school holidays, or just tinkering around at home, fixing and building things. My dad was a very hard worker, he instilled in me a formidable work ethic and passion for everything I do.
Over the years and with the right drive and determination, I had started to build up a reputable construction company. I did, however, struggle to balance my work and personal life, and became somewhat of a workaholic. I did have a massive passion for the work we were doing, and every day I sought to increase and improve my knowledge and expertise in the field. I have now transferred the knowledge and skills I gained in construction into the work we do at Quad-Rebuild.
Unfortunately, after losing my license I became reliant on other people to drive me around. On 19th November 2017, my brother was driving us to view a piece of land. I was asleep in the passenger seat, and had made the mistake of not wearing my seatbelt. A mistake I hope others will learn from. My brother fell asleep at the wheel, the van then veered off the road and hit a tree. I was airlifted to Leeds General Infirmary and taken immediately to Intensive Care. The doctors and medical staff didn’t expect me to survive past 24 hours, as I had suffered catastrophic spinal injuries.
I was airlifted to Leeds general hospital intensive care (my accident was on 999 rescue). The doctors said I would not make it through the first 24hours. I wouldn’t give up so easily, however, and surpassed all the doctors expectations. After 7 weeks in intensive care, I had built up enough strength to move to the Sheffield Spinal Injury Unit where I spent 11 months in rehab adapting to my new life. At times I found it hard to carry on, but I found the drive and determination from my loved ones and those around me in the Spinal Unit who refused to give up.
Discharge was an extremely difficult time for me, dealing with the pressures of moving home meant I faced the anxiety of being away from the hospital for the first time in 12 months should anything go wrong. The staff and myself were supported by a care agency to help adjust to the clinical competencies and safety requirements at home. After moving from rehab back in to the community, no one prepared me for the challenges that lay ahead for myself, my friends, my family and my then-partner. It was a difficult step, learning how to look after my body the same way I was taught in hospital, but this was a key element of my rehabilitation.
I had a number of goals that I wanted to achieve. The first was to set up Quad-Rebuild and obtain the necessary charity number. I also wanted to better my education, and enrolled on a masters degree in Business Administration at the University of Huddersfield, which I successfully completed in September 2021. After adjusting to the challenges of my new life and moving into my own adapted home, I now feel accomplished, ready and eager to make a difference to thousands of people’s lives by using my own lived experience and involvement with individuals dealing with spinal cord injuries.
I have big plans for Quad-Rebuild with the hope of making it a national charity in the coming years. I do not just see my future helping thousands of people, but I also see my own rehabilitation and growth progressing through changing people’s lives.
Regardless of my position… I live every day as if it is my last and believe that the accident has changed my life for the better. No matter what disability a person has, we are here to show everyone that anything is possible if they put their mind to it.
We are always on the look out for people to get involved in our charity and events wether that’s helping raise money for our sponsored events and simply becoming a volunteer, we’d love for you to get involved and help us spread the word.
Please see below different ways to become a volunteer at our events:
Help the team set up various parts of the events
Help the team take down various parts of the event
Volunteer on the day of the event
Keep our event clean
Volunteer on a stall
Help raise vital funds through purchasing raffle tickets and gain a chance to win some great prizes
Alternatively, why not sponsor Quad-Rebuild and the fantastic work we do
Summer Fayre Our annual Summer Fayre is back for 2023 with a huge range of activities, performances and stalls including food & drinks from around
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