Limbless Association in Action: Lunch & Learns
Over the past few months, we have witnessed in person the Limbless Association’s central ethos – no amputee need cope alone – applied to the amputee community in Oxfordshire.
Just over a year ago, we were privileged to be asked to host the Limbless Association’s first ‘Lunch & Learn’ in Oxford. This took place in our Oxford office in November 2024. We are now on the point of hosting the fourth such event and it has been exciting to see how this has progressed, with new people joining and many attendees becoming regulars.
The idea behind Lunch & Learn events is simple. They bring together amputees and their families to learn about how to tackle the realities of life after amputation and for coffee, lunch and chat.
Attendees have had a chance to hear from a variety of speakers: Limbless Association staff on what the charity can offer by way of support; outside speakers, who have so far included a prosthetist (Jamie Gillespie of Proactive) and a psychologist (Omar Kowlessar); and solicitors from RWK Goodman who specialise in advising those who have suffered life-changing amputation injuries.
Outside speakers are chosen who can address real concerns. Questions and open discussion are an important part of these sessions. I have been struck how willing attendees are to talk openly in a group setting about their individual experiences and to learn, not only from the speakers but also from one another. Plenty of time is allowed for informal conversation over coffee and lunch and this is a vital part of what the events offer. One of the most moving things has been to hear attendees comment how much they appreciate the chance for the first time simply to get out of the house and meet with others in a similar boat, outside of a clinical setting. And it is not only the amputees themselves who benefit but also the members of their family who accompany them.
Community social event with the Limbless Association
We had another opportunity to support the amputee community in Oxfordshire and neighbouring counties when we supported the Limbless Association in hosting its first community social event in Oxford on 18th November 2025.
This followed a more relaxed format than the Lunch & Learns, being a bowling event, taking place at ‘Hollywood Bowl’ in Oxford.
Billed as a chance for amputees to get together, along with family and friends, to pitch bowling skills, with some friendly competition and peer networking with the Limbless Association limb loss community in the spirit of fun and camaraderie, it lived up to expectations. Attendees included those with prosthetics and in wheelchairs.
Most had not attempted bowling since undergoing amputation and some expressed a certain amount of trepidation as to how they would fare. But when it came to it, buoyed up by mutual encouragement, it was great to see everyone relaxing, taking part with great enthusiasm and not a little skill (and, I should say, considerably more talent than either I or my colleague, Weronika Obidowicz, could muster), and growing in confidence. In between goes, there was plenty of chances to chat and share experiences.
Once again, as with the Lunch & Learns, it was good to see local amputees and their families take up an opportunity to get out of the house and link up with those in a similar situation. From the comments of attendees, it was clear that they are keen to do more.
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