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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.
Auntie inspires virtual Ben Nevis Trek Challenge
Two Livingston students, were inspired to tackle Scotland’s highest mountain virtually in support of Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus (SBH) Scotland, a charity close to their hearts.
17 year old Eve Robertson, whose Auntie Shona, has spina bifida, came up with the twist on the standard Ben Nevis Trek Challenge with best friend Murren Binnie. They made a plan to walk up and down the Dean Community High School Stairs 500 times until they’d covered the 1,345 metres which they’d have walked to reach the Ben Nevis peak. In doing so they raised £629.00 for SBH Scotland.
Eve said, “Murren and I really wanted to raise money for a worthwhile cause and because of my Auntie we were aware of the great work that SBH Scotland do. Murren and I both love walking so this seemed like a great challenge for us. We’re so grateful to our school, friends and family for all of their support on the day and during the planning stages.
She continued, “The 500 laps of the school stairs took us less time than expected so we actually decided to double the challenge to 1000 laps – I guess you could say we walked up Ben Nevis twice!”
Mrs Alison, Head Teacher of Dean Community High School said, ”Everyone at the school is extremely proud of Eve and Murren, not only for raising money but also for raising awareness of the conditions they’re supporting.”
SBH Scotland was formed in 1965 by a group of parents who each had a child with spina bifida and hydrocephalus. Over 55 years later, the charity now supports over 4,000 children, young people, adults, their family members and carers across Scotland with a personalised service of support workers, groups, health check clinics, a respite cottage, play sessions, workshops and helpline.
Deborah Roe, fundraising director at SBH Scotland said; “We’re incredibly grateful to Eve and Murren for their active support. We’d like to thank them and all those who kindly donated. Donations continue to mean more than they ever have as we support families through uncertain times. Each pound donated assists us in being there for anyone affected by these lifelong, complex disabilities at a time when they need us the most.”
If you’d like to follow in Eve and Murren’s footsteps and take part in a fundraising challenge please contact Lynsey Hamilton, Fundraising Manager, on 03455 211 600 or email.
Find out more about our range of Challenges
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