Latest news

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.

SBH Scotland are recruiting!

SBH Scotland are delighted to be expanding our team of dedicated staff by recruiting for key roles in the Family Support and Fundraising Teams.

Demand on services continues to grow which means we need more staff delivering support across Scotland and, more Fundraising staff to help us make it possible!

We want the very best people working with our members so if you, or anyone you know, has the required qualifications and is looking for a new role please ask them to take a look at our Careers page and fill in the application.

We're looking for:

• Fundraising and Events Manager
• Sessional Support Workers - West of Scotland
• Sessional Support Workers - East of Scotland
• Young People's Youth Worker - East of Scotland

The right people are out there and we can't wait to meet them.

Find out more about our Fundraising Challenges this year.

Question of Burns raises £50,000

It was finally back for it's 30th 'in person' event on the 25th January and our “A Question of Burns” was still as popular as ever, raising £50,000.

Nearly 500 guests gathered at the newly refurbished ballroom of the Glasgow Hilton Hotel, to celebrate the life and work of the famous Scottish Bard with an evening of poetry, performances and a traditional Burns feast.

Former Scottish international rugby player and sports presenter Andy Nicol hosted the evening which saw guests enjoy renditions of Burns’ famous poems, a three-course meal, auction and a quiz on all things Rabbie Burns.

Other notable faces in attendance included Kevin Brown who delivered an Address to the Haggis, legendary comedian Fred MacAulay who gave the Toast to the Lassies and Scottish singer, Michelle McManus, who delivered a hilarious reply.

Scotland’s foremost Robert Burns re-enactor, Chris Tait, delivered the Immortal Memory and award-winning classical singer, and SBH Scotland ambassador, Nicola Cassells, concluded the evening with an emotive performance of Auld Lang Syne.

For over three decades, SBH Scotland’s annual evening in honour of the Ayrshire-born poet has been one of Glasgow’s most successful Burns supper events. Since its launch in 1981, the event has raised over £1 million which has been used to provide personalised support to thousands of children, young people and adults across Scotland affected by the lifelong, complex conditions of spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus.

To support the charity in raising the all-important funds, Scotland’s luxury jeweller Chisholm Hunter donated a beautiful Diamond Cluster and 18ct White Gold Pendant worth £2000 for the Diamond Draw, as well as 10 designer Hugo Boss watches for each member of the winning quiz team and some luxury jewellery goody bags.

As Scotland’s only charity providing support to those with these conditions, and with little financial assistance from statutory sources, SBH Scotland relies heavily on fundraising activities to deliver its vital services.

Dr Margo Whiteford CBE, Chairperson of SBH Scotland, said: “Our annual ‘Question of Burns’ supper is a highly anticipated event in our calendar each year. It was really devasting to have to postpone it last minute last year, so we were absolutely delighted to bring it back ‘in person’ for one of our biggest celebrations yet.

“Without the generosity from everyone who attended, we wouldn’t be able to provide specialist services to the 4,000 children, young people and their families who live with spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus in Scotland.

“I would like to thank everyone who attended and generously gave including our headline sponsors, Chisholm Hunter, whose continued support of this event has been so crucial in building our Burns event to the level it is today. Because of our guests, speakers, volunteers and sponsors we have certainly kicked off 2023 in a spectacular way.”

Can't wait 12 months until our next Burns Supper, why not join us for our Corporate Golf Day or Ladies Lunch during the year?

To support SBH Scotland in any other way get in touch with our team via email or call us on 03455 211 600.