45 members of our community joined us for our inaugural Lighthouse session – a new quarterly series creating shared space where lived experience meets clinical expertise to reimagine what’s possible for adults with cerebral palsy.
This first session brought together people living with CP and paediatric and adult physiotherapists and the fitness industry, to explore what lifelong, person-centred approaches to physical activity could look like. Emma Livingstone (CEO-UP) opened by emphasizing that childhood experiences profoundly shape the adults we become. She posed the question: What support do we need at different stages of life? She also shared her excitement about intentionally bringing clinicians, the fitness industry, and the community together to create an innovative space to learn, explore, and collaborate. We heard from Aaron Simmonds (personal trainer comedian and powerlifter), Craig Graham (founder of Alt Movement), and paediatric physiotherapists Julian Brown, Nikki Diamond and Maxine Darby. Together with our Clinical Lead adult physiotherapist Miriam Creeger.
Building a new approach together
The conversation started with an important foundation: cerebral palsy is a lifelong condition that deserves lifelong, coordinated support. Understanding this changes everything – it means moving beyond the traditional model that stops at 18, and instead thinking about how we stay active, healthy and engaged throughout our lives.
This led to one of the session’s most powerful insights: activity needs to be fun and purpose-driven to be sustainable. Aaron’s journey illustrated this perfectly – traditional physio felt meaningless, but wheelchair basketball, powerlifting and stand-up comedy gave him compelling reasons to move. Craig’s “WhatAptif” competition takes this principle and runs with it, pairing adaptive athletes with able-bodied teammates to create a training goal people genuinely want to work towards.
The physiotherapists in the session shared how their practice is evolving. A new model is emerging that focuses on participation rather than just fixing problems – finding sustainable, enjoyable activities that fit into people’s real lives rather than prescriptive exercises. Julian spoke about this shift in paediatric physio, while the group discussed how this thinking needs to extend across the lifespan, and Miriam shared information regarding how muscle strength changes for us all over the lifespan and what we can do to slow it down.
There was also honest discussion about the accessibility barriers that still exist – from gyms citing insurance concerns to reduced pool temperatures that cause muscle spasms. But crucially, the consensus was clear: healthcare providers, fitness venues and community partners need to step up to make services accessible. Change is possible, and people are working to make it happen.
Craig’s Alt Movement and Aaron’s personal training practice show what inclusive fitness spaces can look like when they’re designed with disabled people from the start. These aren’t just inspiring examples – they’re blueprints others can learn from.
The Lighthouse journey continues
This is just the beginning. Our next Lighthouse session on 16th April explores relationships, intimacy and body confidence with the team from Enhanced the UK – another vital conversation bringing together expertise and lived experience.
Lighthouse sessions are part of our expanding Virtual Community Centre, where we’re building shared spaces for adults with CP to connect, learn and grow together. From art for wellbeing to mindfulness, book clubs and these quarterly expert workshops, we’re creating the lifelong support network our community deserves.
Ready to be part of it? Become a member to join our Virtual Community Centre programmes and connect with others who understand what living well with cerebral palsy means.
Want to help us grow? Your donation enables us to keep bringing together lived experience, clinical expertise and community partners to reimagine what’s possible for adults with CP.