National Paralympic Heritage Centre opens at Stoke Mandeville

Britain’s proud history as the birthplace of the Paralympic movement will be celebrated at the opening of the National Paralympic Heritage Centre at Stoke Mandeville Stadium on Saturday March 30th.

Telling the story of the Paralympic Movement, the Heritage Centre showcases objects, documents and memorabilia including rare tickets, medals, sports kit, photographs and programmes that were previously held in storage and not available to the general public.

The Heritage Centre also incorporates interactive displays, videos and a handling collection, highlighting sports unique to the Paralympics such as goalball and boccia.

Sir Philip Craven, Former President of the International Paralympic Committee and Honorary President of the National Paralympic Heritage Trust, said: “My first recollection of Stoke Mandeville was from the 1967 National Games when as a 17-year-old I saw wheelchair basketball being played outdoors and thus dependent on the weather.

“Looking back, I recall a small area of not too attractive land sandwiched between the back of a large hospital and a railway embankment. To think that this is where the unique Paralympic sporting spirit was born fuelled by the human energy of the athletes, coaches and volunteers. To know now that this fiery furnace of positive human energy will be remembered forever makes me very happy”.

The Paralympic Movement began in the late 1940s at Stoke Mandeville Hospital where Professor Sir Ludwig Guttmann encouraged wounded veterans to play sport as an aid to rehabilitation from spinal injury. This led to local competitions, to the Stoke Mandeville Games and to the Paralympic Games which today attracts international support and a global audience of more than 4 billion people.

The National Paralympic Heritage Centre will celebrate and explore this unique history. The displays illustrate the determination, sportsmanship and vision that gave the world the Paralympic Games.

This inspirational project would not have been possible without the support of the British Paralympic Association, WheelPower - British Wheelchair Sport, Aylesbury Vale District Council and Buckinghamshire County Council. With grant aid from the Heritage Lottery Fund, AIM Biffa Award ‘History Makers’ Programme, Rothschild Foundation, Aylesbury Vale Community Chest, Heart of Bucks and the Wellcome Trust.

Nigel Purse, Chairman of the NPHT, said: “Sports heritage has a wide appeal to the British public and with the support of our funders and founding partners we are able to celebrate the story of Professor Sir Ludwig Guttmann and the development of the Paralympic Movement where it all began at Stoke Mandeville.

“As well as protecting the unique heritage that could so easily be lost, the real satisfaction will be to share the inspiration behind the Paralympic heritage sport stories which are ‘life changing’.”

Admission is free and visitor information including opening times and guided tours can be found here:

https://www.paralympicheritage.org.uk/Event/heritage-centre