UP – The Adult Cerebral Palsy Movement

Cerebral Palsy affects 130,000 adults in the UK. CP occurs as a result of an injury to the brain, before, during or after birth. Severity varies greatly, though all people with CP will experience disordered movement, and some will experience difficulties with sight, hearing, and/or cognition.

Yet at the age of 18, support from the paedriatic services which have been so important disappears, to be replaced by… very little. There is no coordination of care, and no specialist support – the burden falls on GPs who have neither the knowledge nor the resource to do this adequately. Cerebral Palsy is not progressive, but it is degenerative – ie the initial neurological damage doesn’t change, but as people get older, the resulting symptoms get worse. By not addressing these symptoms earlier eg with regular physiotherapy – patients have years of unnecessary suffering, and the NHS has a much more expensive treatment burden.

One adult with CP, Emma Livingstone, decided to do something about this, and with friend and physiotherapist, Miriam Creeger, founded the charity, Adult Cerebral Palsy Hub, five years ago. They asked us as to draw on our experience as a marketing agency for charities to consider how they could creatively improve their profile and perceived stature, as they campaign for adequate health services for their community.

We created a new name, UP – The Adult Cerebral Palsy Movement, along with a new identity, and then applied this brand across the range of communication channels, including a new website. We are very proud to be working for such a deserving cause, helping it to have the platform it needs as it maximises its social impact.

"I think to my younger self my advice would be, self-acceptance will come eventually: I wouldn’t have such an uncomfortable relationship with my CP forever." Scarlett Murray