Bobath Scotland training more specialist therapists

Bobath Scotland is delivering a course to train more specialist therapists across Scotland in the treatment of children with cerebral palsy.

Starting this week (11 March), eighteen NHS physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists are attending the Bobath Scotland centre in Glasgow to undertake the Basic Bobath Foundation Course. The course is being fully funded by Bobath Scotland with support from Baillie Gifford. 

The six month-long modular course gives participants the theoretical background to the Bobath therapy approach, and provides practical and clinical experience in the handling, assessment and management of children with cerebral palsy. 

On completion of the course, the therapists will be able to use these skills to support children with cerebral palsy and their families in communities across Scotland. Course participants work in eight different health board areas, including Fife, Grampian, Glasgow, the Highlands, Lothian and Lanarkshire. 

The course is led by Christine Barber MSc MCSP DSA(CSP), a consultant physiotherapist and Director of Therapy Services at The Bobath Centre, London, with support from Bobath Scotland. 

Commenting on the training course, Stephanie Fraser, CEO of Bobath Scotland, said: 

“We are really delighted to be hosting this course in Glasgow and to be training and supporting a new cohort of Scotland-based Bobath therapists. This is something we have been working to achieve for some time and we would like to thank Baillie Gifford for helping us finally achieve our goal. 

“Bobath Scotland provides specialist therapy to anyone with cerebral palsy from our centre in Glasgow, and across Scotland through our outreach programme. But we know that people with cerebral palsy and their families need access to more support in their own communities, and therefore it is important to us that we should invest in developing specialist knowledge of the management of cerebral palsy throughout Scotland. 

“We are funding this course for NHS professionals because we are committed to ensuring that people with cerebral palsy benefit from the expertise of specialist Bobath therapists, whether that be through Bobath Scotland, or through NHS teams working in the community.”

You Give We Give: the sustainable investment scheme that benefits you and Bobath Scotland

Bobath Scotland has partnered with Greenfinch, an innovative online investment platform which allows you to invest money and donate to charity via its You Give We Give (YGWG) scheme at the same time. Here’s how an investment with Greenfinch can help us provide much-needed services to support people living with cerebral palsy – and benefit you in turn. 

Greenfinch’s You Give We Give scheme allows your investment to earn dividends, while also generating a donation for Bobath Scotland. The video below explains how:

Be a philanthropist and an investor

Most investors consider a company’s social and environmental impact before investing with it. In fact, 62% of UK investors (anyone with money in ISAs, pensions and wealth management schemes) want to invest in ethical businesses. 

TAM Asset Management, an FCA regulated investment management company based in London, realised that wealth management could be used as an innovative way to raise funds for charities. Lots of charity donors have money in ISAs or general investment accounts. Linking profits that donors make from wealth management to charities they’re affiliated with makes sense – it satisfies the desire for social impact.

The launch of the YGWG donation scheme allows you to invest and donate at the same time; with up to 20%of your annual investment profits being donated to the charity of your choice via TAM’s non-advised investment platform Greenfinch.

A non-advised platform means that TAM doesn’t provide actual advice. As the company behind Greenfinch, they manage your investment portfolio – but won’t tell you what one to choose. The process is  straightforward and puts you in charge: you go to the website, review the various portfolios (which are made up of various assets like stocks, shares, bonds and cash – check them out here), assess the returns over the last five years and make your choice.

Our partnership with Greenfinch means that Bobath Scotland members can now choose from a range of ethical and mainstream wealth management products – while donating to us at the same time. What’s more, your donation is matched by TAM with an equal percentage from their annual management fee.

 

Feel-good money

Here’s a fictitious example to demonstrate how an investment with Greenfinch can benefit both you and Bobath Scotland:

Mrs Johnson’s portfolio was valued at £200,000 on 1 January. The portfolio did well, and its value increased by five percent to £210,000 by 31 December. As a current member of Bobath Scotland, Mrs Johnson chose to donate ten percent of her net gain to the charity. This means that £1,000 goes to Bobath Scotland, plus the matched ten percent from TAM’s annual fee.*

Mrs Johnson is in charge of how much she gives and who she gives to. She can increase or decrease her donation and change her choice of charity at any time. Each year, TAM sends Mrs Johnson an update outlining and confirming her investment, donation and calculation. If she agrees to provide some personal details like her address, we can claim Gift Aid and top up her donation even more.

 

Sustainable wealth management

In this new age of ethical investing, your long-term personal finance objectives can succeed in line with your social and environmental considerations. Simply put, this innovative approach to wealth management can provide you with a sustainable source of income while supporting Bobath Scotland, allowing us to continue offering our valuable services, helping those with cerebral palsy live well.

If you’d like to hear more about how Greenfinch can benefit you and Bobath Scotland, please get in touch with Greenfinch, or find out more on their FAQs page. 

*Past performance is not a guide to future returns and investors may get back less than their original investment.

AAC Children’s Group are super-communicators

In February, Bobath Scotland hosted our annual three-day holiday group for young users of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), supported by the Corra Foundation, Scotmid Community Fund and Tesco Bags of Help.

One in four people with cerebral palsy are unable to use their voice to speak, and use communication books or devices such as tablets or ‘eye gaze’ computers as their main form of communication.  

The seven children who came to the superhero-themed group had a blast with the therapy team, developing their communication skills and forging friendships with each other. 

The kids used their devices to choose a superhero identity, pick their super powers, and interact with each other during fun games. At the end of the group, the children got the chance to meet with a group of adult AAC users, who had a hoot dressing up in superhero costumes and telling the kids about their various superpowers!   

The AAC group was partly funded through support from the Corra Foundation after Bobath Scotland won a popular vote in their #LetsChangeThat video competition in December. Support was also contributed through Scotmid’s West Regional Committee Community Grant scheme, and Tesco Bags of Help. 

Commenting on the support received for the group, Virginia Anderson, Head of Fundraising at Bobath Scotland said, 

“Bobath Scotland needs to raise £8.50 of every £10 we spend to deliver our services and support to children and adults with cerebral palsy. 

“We are so grateful to the Corra Foundation, Scotmid and Tesco Bags of Help. Their combined support has enabled us to provide an important opportunity for young AAC users to meet each other, learn from adult AAC users, and develop their communication skills, whilst also having fun!”