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.