Read our Autumn newsletter and catch up on our latest stories and news.

In this edition, Karen talks about how Cerebral Palsy Scotland has supported her young son Jack to make the most of his abilities, and how we’ve helped to give the whole family some much-needed breathing space.

“I would advise anyone with cerebral palsy to get in touch with Cerebral Palsy Scotland because you understand it to a level that I don’t think you can find elsewhere.”

We also hear from Alan, who recently came back to Cerebral Palsy Scotland as an adult, having come for therapy many years ago as a young child. He explains how the therapists have really helped reduce pain he was experiencing, and also to complete day-to-day tasks much quicker and easier.

As well, the newsletter lets you know about upcoming events that you can get involved in, including our Annual conference and exhibition taking place on 3 October in Glasgow. There’s also a policy update on what we’ve been doing to advocate for people with cerebral palsy and their families.

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Cerebral Palsy Scotland has received £10,000 from the National Lottery Community Fund in Scotland to support its fun play and therapy group for babies and their families.

Baby buds is the charity’s fortnightly group for children aged 0-24 months and their families. The group welcomes any family who is concerned about their child’s motor development, or who have been given a diagnosis of cerebral palsy.

Run by Cerebral Palsy Scotland’s team of specialist therapists, Baby buds is full of messy play, sensory exploration, songs and stories. Sessions are designed to provide opportunities to help children develop movement to enable play, exploration and communication.

The therapy team are also able to give parents and carers guidance on how to help their child when they are with them every day. The group is also important in allowing parents of young children with cerebral palsy to meet each other, at a time when many can feel isolated.

Commenting on the award, Isla Campbell Lupton, Head of Fundraising and Communications at Cerebral Palsy Scotland, said:

“We are extremely grateful to have received this award from The National Lottery Community Fund, which has been made possible through the generosity of National Lottery players.

“Our Baby buds group is a really important part of what we do to support children with cerebral palsy. The group allows young children to benefit from regular specialist support at an age where targeted input is critical in enhancing their development, as well as providing an opportunity for parents to meet others in a similar situation.

“We would like to say a huge thank you to The National Lottery Community Fund for enabling us to continue running this much-needed service.”

The National Lottery Community Fund, Scotland Chair, Kate Still, said:

“National Lottery funding can make amazing things happen in local communities across the country. This project delivered by Cerebral Palsy Scotland is a great example of community activity in action, showing just what can be achieved when people come together for a common cause or to help others.

“National Lottery players can be proud to know that the money they raise is helping to support this vital work which is making a real difference to so many.”

For more information on Baby buds, and to register your interest, visit our Baby buds webpage. 

Cerebral Palsy Scotland are delighted to announce that we are one of the first six recipients of a SafeDeposits Scotland Community Fund small grant, which will support people with cerebral palsy to communicate and play through technology.

We are grateful to have received £1,961 to update our Augmentive and Alternative Communication (AAC) technology, as well as replacing equipment used to adapt technology for play.

Specialist adaptive technology gives people with cerebral palsy greater opportunities to operate toys and equipment on their own, helping them to independently enjoy games and conversation and promote wellbeing, confidence and positive mental health.

Our specialist occupational therapists, physiotherapists and speech and language therapists work collaboratively in sessions to help children and adults learn about communication devices and adaptive technology, empowering them to both communicate and play.

In these sessions, individuals and families are able to try out different technology with our specialists, and work out which methods work best for them before investing in them at home.

Being able to engage with activities, as well as operating toys and equipment alone, can have a hugely positive impact on a person with cerebral palsy, helping them to achieve their goals and unlock new opportunities.

As the only cerebral palsy charity in Scotland, we are immensely grateful for the support of the SafeDeposits Scotland Community Fund. This grant will power our work, helping individuals with cerebral palsy to reach their full potential.

The Cerebral Palsy Scotland conference and exhibition is Scotland’s only annual event focussing on cerebral palsy. Our next conference will be held on Wednesday 2 October 2024 at the Crowne Plaza hotel, Glasgow.

Corporate support makes a huge difference in powering our work to improve the lives of people with cerebral palsy in Scotland.

One particular company who has been significant in helping to ensure people with cerebral palsy have access to specialist therapy, support and information this year is Allied Vehicles Group.

Allied Mobility is part of the Allied Vehicles Group and is the UK’s leading provider of wheelchair accessible vehicles. Allied Vehicles are a business which is local to us who feel passionately about supporting their local community.

Since early 2022, Allied Vehicles have been active supporters of our work. Participating in our Dragon Boat race in June 2022, Allied vehicles took three boats of 18 people each. Their commitment came from all levels of the organisation with each boat captained by members of the founding family: Gerry, Peter and David Facenna. ‘Peter’s Pirates’ took the top spot, beating the eight other teams in the tournament. Together the Allied paddlers raised a fantastic £4,800 for Cerebral Palsy Scotland.

This sparked a fundraising flame in the hearts of the Allied team who subsequently sponsored our Burns Night Firewalk in January 2023. Allied kindly provided the Glasgow Tigers Speedway as a venue for the event with hot food and drinks for all participants. We had 11 Allied employees join our brave firewalkers, raising a fantastic £2,100. The Allied team certainly brought the heat to a cold January night and had excellent team spirit.

The Allied Vehicles Charitable Trust also provided a vital stop-gap to keep our Baby Buds sessions running in a two-month gap between funding. Baby Buds is a crucial chance for families to come and have regular support from our specialist therapists to help develop their child’s movement and enable play, exploration and communication. With the Trust’s help, we have been able to keep the group running, with more new families attending.

Outwith their fantastic fundraising, Allied Vehicles have been active members of our awareness raising work. David Facenna (Corporate Culture Director) and Gemma Žak-Duport (Group Head of Communications and Engagement) attended our reception at the House of Lords, Westminster. The event brought key people and organisations together to consider how we can build a better future for people with cerebral palsy. We were delighted to have our Allied friends attend in support of our mission to improve the lives of people with cerebral palsy in Scotland and further delighted to welcome David as a new member of our board of trustees earlier this year.

The Allied team have been hugely supportive of our work and we are thrilled that they are headline sponsors for our next Dragon Boat race day happening on 10 September.

Hear from David Facenna, Corporate Culture Director at Allied Vehicles about their experience supporting Cerebral Palsy Scotland:

Cerebral Palsy Scotland are a vital support for people with cerebral palsy and their families. We have been delighted to be able to support Cerebral Palsy Scotland. Our staff have also embraced the partnership through taking part in Dragon Boat racing and the Firewalk. Being able to take part in such engaging activities, whilst supporting such a worthwhile cause has been fantastic for our corporate culture and for building collaboration and teamwork.

We cannot thank the Allied Vehicles Group enough for their continued support in powering our work. Every day in Scotland, people with cerebral palsy and their families are not getting enough support. Because of Allied’s kindness, we have been able to continue providing specialist therapy, support and information for children and adults with cerebral palsy when it’s needed most.

If you would like to find out how your workplace can support Cerebral Palsy Scotland, please contact our team at GetInvolved@cpscot.org.uk.