A WINNING PARTNERSHIP WILLIAMS RACING'S OFFICIAL …

A WINNING PARTNERSHIP WILLIAMS RACING'S OFFICIAL CHARITY PARTNER THE SPINAL INJURIES ASSOCIATION

© Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited 2021.All Rights Reserved.

IN BRIEF

1The Spinal Injuries Association (SIA) was founded in 1974 by Baroness Masham of

Ilton. Following a spinal cord injury in 1958, the Baroness was concerned about the lack of specialist medical care, information and

advice available to newly injured people.

Founded on the belief that a fulfilled life for everyone affected by spinal cord injury is possible, the primary focus of the SIA is to connect those affected with a

network of people and services dedicated to supporting their needs. The SIA’s services include an advice line, support sessions, healthcare professional training, a specialist SCI nurse service and in-house counselling

service, supporting approximately 50,000 people living with spinal injury in the UK.

2Sir Frank Williams suffered a spinal cord injury in 1986,

when a car accident rendered him tetraplegic. Sir Frank received support from the SIA as he recuperated

and returned back to work, which ultimately led to the Association becoming the official charity partner

of Williams Racing in 2015, with Claire Williams OBE becoming Vice President of the SIA in 2016.

In a statement announcing the partnership in 2015, Sir Frank Williams said:

“My family and I have had close direct contact with the amazing work that the SIA do to help those with a spinal cord injury

and the charity has always been close to the hearts of those at Williams. We are now formalising our relationship and

using my own experiences to help spread the word that with the right support you can lead a fulfilling life after injury.”

3Since 2015 Williams Racing has

supported the Spinal Injuries Association in numerous ways, from raising funds

to offering technical expertise and providing return to work opportunities.

As Williams Racing’s official charity partner, the SIA receives full support in fundraising &

awareness initiatives from the team. Additionally, the Association is given access to the Williams

Racing facilities at Grove and receives technical support for a number of projects.

2© Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited 2021.All Rights Reserved.

THE SPINAL INJURIES ASSOCIATION: FOR LIFE AFTER SPINAL CORD INJURY

With the right care, living a fulfilled life after injury is possible. This is the belief that lies at the heart of the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA), a UK based charity dedicated to supporting spinal cord injured people and their families, helping them live to their fullest potential.

Approximately 2,500 people in the UK sustain or acquire a spinal cord injury each year, with a total of approximately 50,000 people living with a spinal cord injury. These figures estimate that around every four hours a person in the UK is injured or diagnosed with a spinal cord injury, yet, there are only 11 Spinal Cord Injury Centres throughout the nation. Sadly, only one in three people have access to specialist rehabilitation after injury in the UK.

According to SIA Chair Dr. Rupert Earl: “It makes no moral or economic sense that every year around 1,700 people have their potential stunted, their recovery delayed, and their lives put at risk by inadequate care in a non-specialist setting, often at many times the cost.”

The SIA is committed to providing a lifetime of support for people living with spinal cord injury – whenever they need it. Through their range of services, the SIA helps spinal cord injured people to live fully and independently within the limits of their disability, as well as provide support for their families and friends.

Services include a free support line to newly injured people, support from SCI peers, specialist nurse care and the provision of accredited training sessions to healthcare professionals to improve overall care available to those affected by spinal cord injuries.

Among the most notable supporters of the SIA is HRH The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, who has been patron of the charity since 1984.


31 https://www.aspire.org.uk/news/every-four-hours2 https://www.spinal.co.uk/

WILLIAMS RACING AND THE SIA: THE SIR FRANK WILLIAMS CONNECTION

Williams Racing's support and gratitude for the SIA goes beyond charity – it is a part of Sir Frank Williams’ legacy. After having benefitted first hand from SIA’s work, through the support Sir Frank Williams and his family received following his life-changing injury in 1986, the Williams F1 Racing Team became supporters of the Association, and in 2015 announced the SIA as the team’s official charity partner.

In addition to supporting the SIA, Williams Racing has also reached Level 2 certification of the ‘Disability Confident Employer’ scheme, a national initiative set up and audited by the UK government, which encourages employers to “think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit and retain people with disabilities”.

Part of the scheme focuses on ensuring the place of work is wheelchair accessible. Given Sir Frank Williams’ physical requirements, the issue of accessibility is paramount to Williams Racing and remains an integral part of the team's operations.

Sir Frank Williams' life, work and legacy are a true testament to the SIA’s belief that, with the right support, living a fulfilled life after injury really is possible.

On 19 December 2010, Sir Frank Williams was awarded the Helen Rollason Award for “outstanding achievement in the face of adversity” at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards. “The team owes the SIA a

great debt of gratitude.“

Tim Hunt, Chief Marketing Officer for Williams Racing


43 https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/disability-confident-campaign

THE SPINAL INJURIES ASSOCIATION AND WILLIAMS RACING: A WINNING PARTNERSHIP

FUNDRAISINGFamilies helped, hearts stirred and funds raised – these are just a few of the many positive outcomes that have come from the SIA and Williams Racing partnership.

As the team’s official charity partner, all proceeds raised through Williams Racing charitable initiatives are directed towards the SIA. This involves everything from employee cake sales to providing ‘money can’t buy’ experiences for SIA hosted charitable auctions, such as the “October Club” in October 2019.

The partnership also provides the SIA with access to the Williams Racing facility for various fundraising events, awards, such as the “Rebuilding Lives Awards”, auctions, and private tours guided by Williams Racing staff, with each event having been designed with accessibility in mind.

For their part, Williams Racing employees are very engaged in supporting the SIA, many going the extra mile or pushing themselves to the limit to raise funds – running marathons, completing triathlons and even jumping out of planes!

Since 2015, Williams Racing has raised approximately £150,000 for the SIA.

AWARENESSDriving awareness about the SIA and its invaluable services is a key motivator behind Williams Racing’s partnership with the SIA.

In addition to raising funds, Williams Racing has helped to significantly raise the profile of the Spinal Injuries Association globally. Sir Frank Williams is not only one of the most well known figures in the world of Formula 1 and motorsport, but he is also one of the world’s most famous tetraplegics.

Through his numerous speaking engagements, Sir Frank Williams has helped drive awareness while at the same time paying tribute to the SIA. As the team’s official charity partner, the level of exposure the SIA receives is immense - with prominent logo placement on Williams Racing’s website, references in communication materials, as well as being featured on Williams Racing cars during televised events.

Official Formula 1 figures show a total 2020 season cumulative audience of 1.5 billion, giving the SIA tremendous exposure to a large global audience.


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“Returning to work after a spinal cord injury is a challenging prospect, but everyone who does so each year shows that this journey is achievable with the right attitude and support. The SIA’s Work Trials initiative was a voluntary scheme that placed people with a spinal cord injury into the workplace to develop their confidence and employability skills.”

SIA

COLLABORATIONS

“MARTIN’S MOUNTAIN”

At Williams Racing, supporting the SIA on the toughest of challenges is part of the job.

In 2022 Martin Hibbert will be attempting to climb Mount Kilimanjaro using a specially adapted wheelchair, in an effort to raise £1 million for the SIA. Martin was seriously injured in the bombing that took place at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester in May 2017. He suffered a severed spinal cord that left him paralysed from the waist down.

To support Martin, Williams Racing CIO, Graeme Hackland, will also be joining the expedition.

"The hardest mountain to climb is the one within."

J.Lynn, Poet

RETURN TO WORK

Returning to work for the first time is one of the greatest challenges people face following a spinal cord injury. The SIA’s ‘return to work’ initiative provided support for those affected by spinal cord injuries, aiding them during this time. Williams Racing has been a valuable partner of the programme - offering work experiences, hosting injured people at the factory and helping them regain their confidence as they take the next step towards rehabilitation.

Williams Racing work experiences have led to job offers in some instances, as was the case with Matt King OBE. Matt suffered a serious spinal injury at the age of 17, which left him paralysed from the neck down. He originally came to Williams Racing through the SIA’s work experience in 2016, and quickly established himself as a key member of the team. Matt went on to work as Williams Racing Legal Counsel until sadly passing away in February 2021. He is greatly missed by everyone at Williams Racing.


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“The core of what we do as Design Engineers, in any industry, is problem solving. The opportunity and enthusiasm to make a significant difference to people's day-to-day tasks and lives was clear from the quality of the entries, the problem identification and solving theme is common to all engineering.”

Doug Nevill, Head of Mechanical Design at Williams Racing, on his involvement with BBK’s Design the Change Challenge

WILLIAMS RACING LOOKS FORWARD, WHILE GIVING BACK

Since early 2021, Williams Racing Head of Mechanical Design, Doug Nevill, has been working with leading solicitors and SIA trusted legal partners, Bolt Burdon Kemp and their ‘Design the Change Challenge’, a competition asking university STEM students to submit designs that could ease everyday life of those affected by spinal cord injuries.

Judged by a panel of experts including Doug Nevill, the Winner receives a £3000 cash prize, another £2000 to their university plus an internship at the Cerebra Innovation Centre. The winning design will also be featured in national trade press. The competition shines a light on the next generation of scientists, technicians, engineers and mathematicians - and no doubt, the future looks bright.

A MESSAGE FROM THE SPINAL INJURIES ASSOCIATION“We have had a close relationship with Williams Racing for a number of years now, first working with the Williams family in supporting Sir Frank Williams in his rehabilitation and ultimately moving on to becoming the team’s official charity in 2015.

The support that we have received from Williams Racing has been tremendously helpful. Not only in terms of fundraising and donations, with their support helping us raise almost £150,000 in that time, but also in terms of vital awareness. Having partners such as Williams, who are so keen to promote our work and highlight the value of what we do, is really incredible.

Our relationship with Williams has enabled us to support thousands of spinal cord injured people every year, alongside their families, friends and loved ones. Being able to spread the word about spinal cord injury and the help we can provide to those affected by it has been invaluable to us, and the funds raised really have helped to change lives.”

Anna Saunders, Director of Business Development at The Spinal Injuries Association


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THANK YOU

This case study was written and designed by Enovation Consulting for Williams Grand Prix Engineering, using primary and secondary data sources.

This work is made to the best of our knowledge. We assume no liability for errors, misprints or omissions. All rights reserved.


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