Business Engagement

Steel Bones helps amputee families live life to the full, helped by a proactive supportive peer community. It is run by amputee families for amputee families. The support we provide empowers the amputee and their family and friends to help them in moments of stress and crisis. Steel Bones is community-based and demand-led; it provides direct support where there is a geographical or service need and provides advice, guidance or signposting to relevant services to help amputee families navigate the complex, and often confusing, amputee support landscape.

We are a small, committed, hard working team dedicated to improving the lives of amputees and their families.  We pride ourselves on being able to tackle the most challenging circumstances and being able to work with local agencies, NHS and politicians to turn this around for the family.

• We have over 1100 amputees registered with us as of April 2024 with 25-30 new families registering every month.
• 30% of the families are from social media, 35% from Prosthetic centres which is increasing month on month as we build stronger connections with the NHS clinics. 2021, 5% are from other reasons and 30% are recommendations from a friend.
• 248 families require 121 support as they are at crisis point. This number is constantly shifting as we work quickly to progress situations with Mps, Councillors, GPs, Prosthetic clinics and social services.
• We are collaborating with Vascular Surgeons and Physiotherapists on a study of the contribution and impact of peer support in the amputee community. The results for this so far are:
• 47% of our community met amputees for the first time through Steel Bones; 32% of those people had been an amputee for more than 5 years.
• 73% of our survey participants felt more independent; 86% feel more motivated.
• 80% of survey participants felt Steel Bones had improved their quality of life.
• 87% felt sharing their experiences with peers was helpful.
• The highest incentive for both patients and family members to join our community was for the social events and coffee mornings. We see demand for these increasing tenfold.
• We have 10 Trustees.
• 1 full time Director, part time Administrator CoOrdinator, 1 part time Volunteer Coordinator with 70 volunteers who are crucial to making Steel Bones happen day in day out.
• 74% of our team including volunteers are amputees or amputee family members. We are committed to ensuring the people running and making decisions at Steel Bones have lived experience.