Visit Us Events and exhibitions National Paralympic Heritage Centre About the National Paralympic Heritage Centre Stoke Mandeville is widely acknowledged as the birthplace of the Paralympic movement and the National Paralympic Heritage Centre at Stoke Mandeville Stadium celebrates and explore this unique history. The displays showcase the determination, sportsmanship and vision that gave the world the Paralympic Games including: The life and work of Professor Sir Ludwig Guttmann. Key milestones in the journey from the 1948 Stoke Mandeville Games to the present day Paralympic Games. The development of wheelchair sports. Paralympic ceremonies. Vicky Hope-Walker's interview with BBC Three Counties radio can be listened to here: Your browser does not support the audio element. Please click here to download the file Visitor information Free Admission Opening HoursMonday 12-6pmTuesday 12-6pmWednesday 10am-6pmThursday 10am-6pmFriday 10am-6pmSaturday 10am-6pmSunday 10am-6pm During school holidays, when activities are planned, the centre may be closed for up to 30 minutes. Group Tours and TalksFor more information and to arrange a group tour follow this link AccessibilityGetting to, and visiting the Heritage Centre Heritage Centre events & activities Origami Paper Crane activity sessions in 2020 The countdown to Tokyo 2020 is now underway! To celebrate the Paralympic Summer Games we would like to create a display using 100s of paper cranes. These will be featured at the Paralympic Heritage Flame Lighting event at Stoke Mandeville Stadium to launch the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Summer Games. Join in the countdown by coming along to one of our origami making sessions taking place at the Paralympic Heritage Centre on: Friday 21st February, 11-12:30 and 14-15:30Friday 17th April, 11-12:30 and 14-15:30Friday 29th May, 11-12:30 and 14-15:30 Why paper cranes? At the last Paralympic Games in Tokyo, in 1964, paper crane garlands were given to the Paralympians as a symbol of ‘good luck’. If you would like to order a Paralympic paper crane pack to make at home (£1+postage), please contact us at [email protected] Paper crane garlands from the Tokyo 1964 Paralympic Games ©Sally Haynes ©Ian Brittain Paper crane maker Momoho Yamada's story Extract from The Mainichi, Japan's National Daily, January 3rd 2017 Momoho Yamada was born with cerebral palsy, he spent his adult life building ties between people with disabilities and the non-disabled. Kunisuke, his brother, believes that the 1964 Tokyo Paralympics changed his younger brother's life. Momoho was unable to move his body as he wished, he started making paper cranes to exercise his hands four years before the Tokyo Games. He used his mouth to hold the origami paper on a table and folded cranes with his disabled hands. Kunisuke recalls, He may have used his feet, too. Learning that the Paralympics would be held in Tokyo in the summer of 1964, Momoho thought of donating his paper cranes to the event. After his mother wrote a letter to the event organiser about her son and his cranes, Momoho was invited to the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games on November 8th. Until then, Momoho had only gone out in his neighbourhood. He later recalled the moment he learned that he had been invited, saying, It was a joy that could lift me up to heaven. Read the full story here Available daily Just a quick visit? Try out our family trail when you arrive. There's also activity sheets for families and schools. Tours of the Heritage Centre Arrange a tour for your community group, business team or simply for those visiting Buckinghamshire. For more information click here Makaton and Touch Tours Coming soon! BSL Tours Our first BSL tour took place in July and we received some wonderful responses: The exhibition is wonderful. I enjoyed the tour very much and found it interesting. The BSL interpreter used a lot of expression and she was very clear. More BSL tour dates will be added to our Autumn events schedule. School sessions Formal 45-minute sessions for schools available for KS 2-4. Subjects catered for. STEM, English, PSHE, Citizenship, Art and Design and other cross-curricular activities. Online resources for use as either part of your self-led visit or to compliment your formal sessions. Self-led trails. For more information about any of our activities contact us on 01296 489929 or email [email protected] Highlights from 2019 Chiltern Heritage Festival As part of the Chiltern Heritage Festival, on Friday 4th October visitors had the opportunity to meet Paralympic swimmer, Stephanie Millward MBE and listen to her story. The groups enjoyed a site tour and a tour of the Paralympic Heritage Centre with a talk about the Paralympic Movement. We received some wonderful feedback from the day. Very much enjoyed the visit to the paralympic heritage centre. Thanks to Steve and Vicky for hosting. Would definitely recommend that people learn more about this great contribution to Buckinghamshire history. Meet the Paralympian Day On Wednesday 14th August, we had a great day with Naomi Riches MBE, Paralympic adaptive rower, sharing her story and experience of competing at an elite level. The day started with a Business breakfast, followed by a Q&A and 'have a go at rowing' sessions, and a tour of the Paralympic Heritage Centre. Read more information about Naomi here Visitors from a diverse range of groups We have been delighted to welcome such a diverse range of groups to the Heritage Centre this first year. With Tokyo 2020 on the horizon we have had many Japanese visits from official government groups, to design and communication teams. It has offered us a great opportunity to share our artefacts from the second ever Paralympic Games which took place in Tokyo in 1964. Student groups from universities have visited, representing a wide range of courses, from sport to medicine, teaching to SEND, bringing their energy and questioning. Many other groups; businesses, network partners, event sponsors, young farmers and a wonderful elderly group from Birmingham, some with a connection to disability others out for a group travel tour to somewhere different. With every visit we learn and extend our own knowledge and are reminded of the power of the Paralympic heritage to change negative perceptions towards disability through a unique and inspiring international sporting movement. Share your stories Please get in touch if you have any stories connected to the Paralympics and disability sport. You can contact us at [email protected] Follow us on twitter and facebook using #paraheritagestories Partners The National Paralympic Heritage Trust is supported by the British Paralympic Association, WheelPower - British Wheelchair Sport, Aylesbury Vale District Council and Buckinghamshire County Council, with grant aid from: Image credit: Stoke Mandeville Stadium courtesy of More Leisure