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Amazing Burns Night raises £85,000 for SBH Scotland

Scotland’s corporate community was out in force at Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Scotland’s annual “A Question of Burns” supper, now in its 32^nd year, raising £85,000 for the specialist charity.

420 guests gathered at the Glasgow Hilton Hotel on the 25 January 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, with co-host Ella Chambers, 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 with his 'Address to a Haggis’, Scottish actor (Still Game) comedian and writer Sanjeev Kohli, gave the Toast to the Lassies whilst Joyce Falconer (River City) gave the Reply on Behalf of the Lassies.

Scotland’s foremost Robert Burns re-enactor, Chris Tait, performed an immersive ‘Tam o’ Shanter’ and SBH Scotland ambassador, Nicola Cassells, alongside Scottish classical crossover tenor, Colin Bryce, performed an array of Scottish classics throughout the evening.

The most powerful part of the evening came when SBH Scotland parent, Sean Carr, gave an emotive speech on the impact the charity has made to his family’s life since his son was diagnosed 8 years ago. He also thanked those attending saying, “Events like this are vital. Your donations allowed my wife and I to escape a cold dark office where we were given a devastating diagnosis to a lifetime of support, friendship, extended family and hope. Thank you.”

For over three decades, SBH Scotland’s annual evening in honour of the Ayrshire-born poet has been one of Glasgow’s most successful corporate Burns suppers. 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.

As well as being headline sponsor, to further support the charity and help it raise as much as possible, Scotland’s luxury jeweller Chisholm Hunter donated luxury watches for the winning quiz team as well as a stunning diamond necklace for the diamond draw. 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 ‘A Question of Burns’ supper is a highly anticipated event in our calendar each year and we work hard to ensure it’s a joyous celebration of our Scottish bard.

“Once again, we were overwhelmed by the generosity of our sponsors and guests and it’s wonderful to watch everyone having a great time while raising vital funds. Without which, we wouldn’t be able to provide specialist services including financial support, health check clinics, counselling, and support groups to over 4,000 children, young people and their families. 

“I would like to thank everyone who attended from our guests to our speakers, performers, and volunteers. Additionally, I’d like to thank our headline sponsor, Chisholm Hunter, whose continued support of this event has been so crucial in building our Burns celebration to be one of the largest corporate events in Scotland.”

SBH Scotland would like to extend their grateful thanks to all of the sponsors who made the evening so special.

Thank you to our sponsors:

• Chisholm Hunter - Headline Sponsor
• Slater Menswear - Silver Tassie Sponsor
• Ross & Liddell - SIlver Tassie Sponsor
• Cole AD - Graphic Design Sponsor
• Make Believe Events - Room Design Sponsor
• All our Red Rose Sponsors

To support SBH Scotland, find out more about other events happening throughout the year, or to chat with us about our range of sponsorship options call 03455 211 600, email  or click here for more details.

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