£150 Disability Cost of Living Payments made to over 6 million people across UK from

More than six million disabled people across the UK are set to receive a £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment from today.

Sun shone as 150 fundraisers faced their fears for charities in Aberdeen Abseil

Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Scotland (SBH Scotland) hosted their annual Aberdeen Abseil on Saturday 10^th June and were delighted to welcome a host of Scottish charity fundraisers to join them.

Over 150 thrill seekers took on the 131 feet high abseil off the side of the Northern Lights Tower at Kings Church and raised over £30,000 for a host of vital charities at the same time.

With an annual requirement to raise £1.5 milllon to provide family support, groups and specialist staff for those affected by life-long, complex disabilities, SBH Scotland struggled to raise funds during the difficult Covid-19 years when adrenaline events such as abseils, skydives and zipslides were shut down. However, thanks to the incredible expertise of the team at Sport Aberdeen, and the lifting of restrictions, the well-known Aberdeen Abseil was finally back after 3 years and the weather made sure it was a glorious day for everyone involved!

Lynsey Hamilton, Fundraising Manager for SBH Scotland, said:

“We are thrilled to have brought the Aberdeen Abseil back, it’s been a long time coming! A big thanks must go to Kings Church and the skilled team at Sport Aberdeen for helping us make it a reality!

SBH Scotland provide a lifetime commitment of support and information to over 4,000 people across Scotland and more specifically the money our fundraisers have donated in this event will help us support around 300 people in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire. A massive thank you to everyone who took part for us and to all those who donated.

Lynsey continued, “We’re also delighted to have welcomed many other charities who benefitted from the day including CHSS, Grampian MS, Scottish Cot Death and Brain Tumour Research who all had their own brave fundraisers taking to the skies.

We can’t wait to get a date again for next year now!”

Mike Gifford, Adventure Aberdeen Manager, said: “It was great to work alongside Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Scotland (SBH Scotland) and Kings Church to bring this event to life. There was such a buzz on the day watching everyone face their fears and abseil off the 131ft high Northern Lights Tower.

Well done to everyone taking part and raising over £30,000 for good causes.”

• Take a look at our Aberdeen Abseil Photo Album on Facebook.
• * Find out why our abseiler, Adrian Milne was prepared to overcome his vertigo for charity challenge - Man with vertigo faced fears for Aberdeen abseil in memory of sister *

See what other Treks & Challenges we've got in store for you

Inverness man reaches Everest Base Camp to raise more than £2,000 for SBH Scotland

An Inverness man has raised more than £2,400 for Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Scotland (SBH Scotland) upon completing a Nepalese trek to Everest Base Camp. Mark Maclennan took part, alongside his friend, finishing at the summit 17,650Ft above sea level; a difficult but spectacular journey which took 14 days.

No stranger to adventure, Mark previously raised money for other charities by taking part in a trek across the Arctic. However, inspired by his friend’s daughter Samantha Slaven who has spina bifida and hydrocephalus, he decided to take on another challenge which he’d always dreamed about and, by paying for the entire trip himself it meant that every penny donated went straight to the charity!

Mark said: “Reaching Everest Base Camp has been a personal goal of mine for a long time, so I just took the opportunity to take part this year, and to raise vital funds for such a worthy cause.

It was a real privilege in trekking the Himalayas and immersing in their culture and way of life. The weather during the day was generally excellent with temperatures reaching as high as 20 deg C. It was a different matter during the night when temperatures dipped as low as -22 deg C. It became tougher the higher we get due to the effects of altitude with much less oxygen in the air, but nothing too serious.

SBH Scotland are a wonderful charity whose services are available to all those affected by spina bifida or hydrocephalus anywhere in Scotland. I know how hard they have been hit over the last two years and hope my donations go some way in helping them continue to help those who benefit from their fantastic services every day.”

Lynsey Hamilton, Fundraising Manager at SBH Scotland said, “We are so grateful to Mark and all those who donated to him. Funds raised are crucial for the dedicated support we can provide now and for the next 12 months. We heavily rely on fundraising to reach our annual targets and with a goal of over £1million pounds to raise in 2023, these funds will make a big impact on the services we can offer including 1-2-1 support in homes and hospitals, health check clinics and support groups to those affected by spina bifida and hydrocephalus in Scotland.”

The other week Mark popped over to Badaguish to visit his friend Samantha as she took part in an activity weekend organised by SBH Scotland.

If you’d like to find out more about the range of support services offered by SBH Scotland or you’d like to organise your own fundraiser or challenge please visit our challenge events page or contact their fundraising team via email.

SBH Scotland support Martin Lewis's Campaign for Energy Price Guarantee to stay at £2,500 a year for further three months

The Government has heeded calls from Martin Lewis to postpone the planned 20% energy bill rise – after a letter from Martin to the Chancellor was supported by more than 130 charities and consumer organisations including Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Scotland.

The news was confirmed this morning, ahead of the Chancellor’s spring budget at lunchtime.

If you are a member of SBH Scotland and have any financial enquiries or issues, please get in touch. We have a Financial Support Service to help you. Email or call us on 03455 211 8300.

Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert, said: "A month ago, I wrote to the Chancellor asking him to postpone the 20% rise in the Energy Price Guarantee. That letter was supported by 131 major charities including Which?, National Energy Action, Citizens Advice, Alzheimer’s Society and more – plus Energy UK, the energy industry trade body. I’d like to thank the Chancellor for listening. The rise – which would likely only have lasted three months – would have caused disproportionate harm financially and, with more 'price rise' letters, to people’s mental health.

"Of course, this doesn’t mean bills will get cheaper. In April we see the end of the winter energy support – the £66/£67 a month everyone has received to lower their bills. So in practical terms people are still going to pay more than they have been, but at least some of the planned rise has been forestalled. Now we have to hope that the current predictions come true, that from July, the current wholesale prices will mean the price cap drops, and therefore bills fall by 19% – a welcome relief to millions."

What does this mean? The EPG, which is effectively a subsidy from the state, was due to increase to a typical £3,000 a year from 1 April, but falling wholesale prices has meant that the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) will cost billions less than the Government had originally set aside. On current forecasts, it should be replaced by a lower energy price cap, set by the regulator, after June.

In February, Martin wrote to the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt MP, urging him to continue energy bills support at current levels by postponing the planned rise in the EPG. Today’s announcement means it will now keep protecting consumers at a typical £2,500 a year for a further three months until the end of June.

The full story can be found at the MoneySavingExpert website.

If you are a member of SBH Scotland and have any financial enquiries or issues, please get in touch. We have a Financial Support Service to help you. Email or call us on 03455 211 8300.