Cerebral Palsy Scotland

Our new Charity of the Year Partnership with QA’s Glasgow office

 

We are delighted to share that colleagues at QA’s Glasgow office have voted to support Cerebral Palsy Scotland as their Charity of the Year.

This collaboration represents far more than a year of fundraising, it’s a shared commitment to creating meaningful, lasting impact. QA’s passion for inclusion and accessible tech aligns with our charity’s vision, and the Glasgow team’s enthusiasm has already inspired us.

Over the coming year, we’ll be working closely with QA’s employees in Glasgow to raise awareness, spark conversations, and deliver initiatives that directly support the people we serve. From creative fundraising challenges to knowledge-sharing projects, we’re eager to see what we can achieve together.

Most importantly, this partnership will help us reach even more individuals who need our support, and it will strengthen the work we do every day.

To everyone at QA: thank you for choosing us. Your belief in our mission means the world, and we can’t wait to embark on this journey with you.

Here’s to a year of collaboration, impact, and making a difference to the lives of people affected by cerebral palsy in Scotland.

 

Visit the QA podcast and listen online to episode: When diversity gets left behind: DEI failures in tech
When Technology Goes Wrong – Podcast | QA

Why Cerebral Palsy Scotland is supporting Payroll Giving Month

Payroll Giving Month in February each year is an opportunity to shine a light on a form of charitable giving that many people are unaware of, despite it being one of the simplest and most effective ways to support charities.

Sometimes called Give As You Earn (GAYE), payroll giving allows employees to donate directly from their salary to a charity of their choice. It’s an easy, flexible way to support causes that matter, without having to fill out online forms for every donation.

For employers, Payroll Giving can increase employee engagement and provide useful insights into the causes your people care about. You can also earn recognition through government-recognised quality marks.

Make a difference every payday

For Cerebral Palsy Scotland, regular donations through Payroll Giving provide reliable, sustainable funding that supports us to continue our work.

Despite the benefits, Payroll Giving remains underused, and many people either don’t know it exists, don’t realise they can choose their own charity, or assume it is complicated to arrange.

By supporting Payroll Giving Month, we hope to help more people understand this option and make informed choices about how they support the causes they care about through their workplace.

Everyone can help!

As an employee:

  • Find out if your employer already has the scheme set up.
  • If they do, encourage them to promote it more widely during February.
  • If they don’t, let them know that it’s something you want them to consider.

As an employer:

  • Use Payroll Giving Month as an opportunity to remind colleagues of the benefits and how it works.
  • If you don’t have a scheme set up, you could ask colleagues if this is something they would make use of through feedback surveys or polls in team meetings.

For more information and resources about Payroll Giving, visit the campaign website here: Payroll Giving Month

 

The 30th Anniversary of Cerebral Palsy Scotland

I’m writing this blog to mark 30 years of services for people with cerebral palsy in Scotland. The 1st of December 1995 was a special day for children with cerebral palsy. This was when the first ever Scottish Bobath Centre opened at Knightswood Road in Glasgow.

I was there with my parents and family to join everyone at this enormous occasion.   My dad, Allan Burns, worked tirelessly to make this day happen. I remember it was a fun day and lots of people were there, including the former First Minister of the Scottish Parliament, Donald Dewar, who officially opened the centre.

The centre was an old clinic and before the building was ready, and I was treated in Knightswood Parish Church hall for my physio sessions. I used to put on my shorts for the sessions, and I remember it was really cold there!

The former school janitor’s house was on the site and was used by families from farther away to stay in while their child was receiving therapy. Now Cerebral Palsy Scotland provides outreach services for children and adults from as far away as Barra and Oban.

There were many different fundraising events from the yearly ball to the bike race. Once when I was about 11, I did a bike ride on a special bike from Elderslie to Paisley with my sister.

Sadly, at the age of 18, like many services for kids with cerebral palsy I couldn’t go there for therapy any longer, and that was a bit of a worrying time for me.

Even though I wasn’t attending Bobath Scotland, they were still providing their services to many children and that was essential, especially for parents.

In time, I went for a few sessions in the Golden Jubilee Hospital with Bobath Scotland, who had temporary accommodation there. I think then they were starting to think about services for adults with cerebral palsy.

In 2009, BoBath Scotland finally moved to their current centre in Port Dundas, and it is a great building for the charity. In 2020, Bobath Scotland changed their name to Cerebral Palsy Scotland.

A few years after they moved to Port Dundas, they started the Helping Hands Scheme for adults with cerebral palsy.  They also run children and adult social events and it’s a great way to keep in touch with all the staff and meet friends.

Over the last few years, they have held an annual Cerebral Palsy Day Conference, this year in the Crown Plaza, Glasgow.

The charity has developed amazingly since it started in that old church hall.

Thanks to receiving my therapy over these past 30 years. I can still do some transfers by standing with support and I believe I am able to do a lot more in my life physically.

I wish Cerebral Palsy Scotland all the best in the future.

By Marion Burns

Slater and Gordon

Cerebral palsy is a lifelong condition caused by early brain injury that predominantly affects a person’s ability to control their muscles and movements.

If mistakes were made in your medical care during pregnancy or childbirth, Slater and Gordon’s specialist solicitors can help you get the compensation you deserve.

Based in Edinburgh, Derek Couper and the team are here to support and help you understand what you need to know, to achieve the best outcome for you and your loved ones.

We are proud partners with Cerebral Palsy Scotland and you can read more about our support, here.

 

What is cerebral palsy?

Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term defined as an early-onset lifelong neurodevelopmental condition which can cause limitations in movement and speech. Due to the unique nature of each brain injury, each person will experience a unique presentation of cerebral palsy. The symptoms of cerebral palsy are not usually immediately apparent and often become noticeable as the child develops.

Symptoms can include:

  • Combination of increased muscle tone – stiffness/spasticity in arms/legs and decreased muscle tone – weakness especially in the trunk and ability to hold head up
  • Movements that are effortful, clumsy or random and uncontrollable
  • Delayed motor development, such as inability to maintain sitting posture by eight months or not being able to walk by 18 months
  • Difficulty in using hands to do fine motor tasks
  • Walking on tiptoes
  • Difficulties with feeding, swallowing, and communication
  • Issues with vision
  • Sensory difficulties
  • Learning difficulties

The degree to which cerebral palsy impacts a child can vary significantly. While some children only experience symptoms quite mildly, others can be left significantly disabled. Although there is no cure, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language support can significantly improve the quality of life for people with cerebral palsy.

 

Can medical negligence cause cerebral palsy?

In some cases, problems occur before, during or after a child’s birth that cannot be prevented, despite the highest standard of medical care. However, if mistakes have been made by medical staff that have contributed to the development of cerebral palsy, you may be entitled to make a cerebral palsy negligence claim.

Some of the mistakes that can lead to problems for your child include:

  • Failure to diagnose an infection during pregnancy
  • Not monitoring the baby’s heart rate often or closely enough
  • Failure to monitor blood sugar levels
  • Delays in delivering the baby (also by Caesarean Section)
  • Misuse of drugs
  • Poor treatment of jaundice
  • Complications with the umbilical cord resulting in lack of oxygen to the baby

 

Am I entitled to make a cerebral palsy claim?

Learning that your child’s condition could have been avoided had medical staff provided the right level of care can be devastating. If medical mistakes have contributed to the development of your child’s cerebral palsy, you may be entitled to make a claim for cerebral palsy compensation.

Doing so can have several benefits. At its core, a cerebral palsy claim can provide you and your family the financial support you need to provide the care your child requires. It can also shed light on the mistakes that were made and help to ensure that they do not happen again.

 

What can I claim cerebral palsy compensation for?

As well as claiming cerebral palsy compensation for pain and suffering, we’ll also include as part of your claim the cost of any care, treatment, rehabilitation, aids and equipment and any housing adaptations or property that’s required now or will be needed in the future. Additionally, if you’ve suffered any hardship as a result of lost earnings, this can also be recovered.

Cerebral Palsy Scotland takes part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge 2025

This Christmas, your generosity can make double the difference!

From 2–9 December, we’re taking part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge. For one week only, every donation made to Cerebral Palsy Scotland will be matched £1 for £1, meaning your gift will go twice as far in helping people with cerebral palsy.

Donations can only be match funded if they are received between 2-9 December, and via the Big Give platform. We will let you know when the campaign opens for donations!

To find out more, visit our campaign page on the Big Give platform.

Together, we can make double the difference for children and adults with cerebral palsy across Scotland.