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.

Cerebral Palsy Scotland Conference – Keynote Speaker, Charlie Fairhurst’s Speech was Extremely Valuable

On Wednesday 8 October our Cerebral Palsy Conference took place, our keynote speaker, Charlie Fairhurst discussed Family-Centred Care in Childhood Neurology: Challenges, Collaboration, and Change to a full suite. which delivered a strong message on the importance of placing children and families at the heart of care. Many of our attendees at the end of the day said how his speech was “extremely valuable”.

Dr Fairhurst explored how conditions like cerebral palsy require individualised, dynamic, and lifelong support, tailored to each child’s changing needs. Key topics included the complexity of spasticity, the impact of co-existing conditions such as epilepsy, feeding and respiratory challenges, and the need to focus on comfort, function, and quality of life.

The talk also emphasised the role of multidisciplinary teamwork, improved communication, and aligning care with both clinical guidelines and family priorities. Attendees were encouraged to “put the fun into function” by supporting meaningful, enjoyable participation for every child.

Why this matters

This keynote speech resonated deeply with the attendees, which a made up of service users, families, therapist, clinicians and educators because it reinforced the importance of seeing each child as an individual, beyond their diagnosis.

By highlighting the value of family involvement, personalised care, and multidisciplinary collaboration, the session offered practical insight and renewed purpose for those working to improve outcomes and quality of life for children with cerebral palsy and other neurological conditions.

How you can help

💚 Want to help us do more?
➤ Donate today
➤ Sign up for updates
➤ Share this story on social media and tag us #cpscot

Cerebral Palsy Scotland partners with Fight The Stroke for global cerebral palsy campaign

Cerebral Palsy Scotland partners with Fight The Stroke for global cerebral palsy campaign

On World Cerebral Palsy Day, Monday 6 October, Cerebral Palsy Scotland was honoured to be the only UK partner in a powerful international awareness campaign led by Italy’s Fight The Stroke.

The campaign brought together organisations from France, Portugal, Luxembourg, Serbia, Brazil and the Netherlands, and featured a striking short film written by Scotland’s own award-winning poet, Jack Hunter. With the bold message “You’ve Got to Be Ballsy to Have Cerebral Palsy”, the film aimed to challenge perceptions and celebrate the courage, creativity, and resilience of people living with CP around the world.

Watch the film here

Taking part in this global initiative allowed us to highlight not only the strength of the international cerebral palsy community but also the unique voices and talents here in Scotland.

What is the campaign about?

Advocacy and public awareness

The campaign works to challenge misconceptions surrounding cerebral palsy and puts a spotlight on some of the stigma that people with cerebral palsy face, in school, home and work settings.

Community engagement

Events such as World Cerebral Palsy Day and targeted awareness campaigns help broaden the public understanding of cerebral palsy and highlight the potential of every child. They build and strengthen alliances with disability and cerebral palsy organisations internationally, to amplify impact through collective action.

Why this matters

Cerebral palsy remains one of the most common disabilities in the world, yet it is still widely misunderstood. Campaigns play a vital role in changing the narrative, from one of limitation to one of possibility and resilience.

If you haven’t yet, there’s still time to show your support. Please donate to Cerebral Palsy Scotland. Your gift will go directly towards vital services for children and adults living with cerebral palsy across Scotland.

How you can help

💚 Want to help us do more?
➤ Donate today
➤ Sign up for updates
➤ Get involved
➤ Share this story on social media and tag us #cpscot