Cerebral palsy charity says life is 'dire' amid financial fight
As funding and grants become more scarce and the cost of living crisis persists, charities like Cerebral Palsy Scotland (CPS) are seeing incomes drop and bills soar.
Stephanie Fraser, CEO of CPS, told the Glasgow Times that in the last year, CPS has seen its income drop by 34% while operating costs have risen by 14%.
She continued: "Life for charities like us is dire now. Funding has become so hard and due to the cost of living, electricity and gas have gone up. Just standing still and putting the lights on has become increasingly more expensive.
'Trusts and foundations are inundated with applications and some charities have had to close. The situation is that organizations are struggling to survive because of cash rather than because of the impact they have.
"We get 89% of our income every year from our own fundraising efforts. We've always lived within our means, but we don't have much reserve. We're not an old, large organisation that can weather a few bad years."
(Image: Picture credit: Sean Purser) The charity was first formed in 1995 and previously went by the name Bobath Scotland before rebranding to CPS in 2020. It was set up by a group of frustrated parents who had to travel to London to access help for their children with cerebral palsy.
Though the charity used to only help children, they now also accommodate to adults who have any type of cerebral palsy and live anywhere in Scotland. They offer a range of support services and provide opportunities for the cerebral palsy community to socialise, helping them to overcome barriers and build skills while gaining both knowledge and confidence.
Stephanie said: "We're here when people need us.
"We have a directory of local services that we can put people in touch with, and we have a programme of social events throughout the year too. For example, this week we had an adult get-together in the centre, which is based in Glasgow.
She added: "Our aim as a charity is to say yes to anybody who rings us up. We include mental health and well-being in our offer of support. Whether it's groups, peers or one-to-one, there is a range of services that we offer.'
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The charity also places significant importance on taking care of the family and support network of someone with cerebral palsy.
Stephanie explained: "We are very orientated towards supporting the family. It's not just about the person with cerebral palsy. It's about whoever is around them too, like parents, granny, grandpa, siblings and teachers."
(Image: Picture credit: Sean Purser) Stephanie went on to say that CPS is the only charity in the country offering this level of support to such a wide demographic.
She added: "There are many organisations who do support people with cerebral palsy, but they might only support a certain age group or geographical area or type of cerebral palsy. Whereas we just take people who have the condition - which is the most common cause of physical disability in children in the world - and we say, 'How can we help?'"
The charity also has a Glasgow-specific grant to help families in the city who have someone in their lives with cerebral palsy. For more information on the grant or CPS, click HERE
The charity recently received funding from Gordon and Slater - which will be used to continue the delivery of their many vital services.
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It comes as Slater and Gordon have struck up a new partnership with CPS. The law firm works widely with families across Scotland who live with Cerebral Palsy and is a longstanding partner of Cerebral Palsy Scotland's sister charity in Wales, CP Cymru.
Derek Couper, head of clinical negligence in Scotland for Slater and Gordon, said:
'Cerebral Palsy Scotland plays an outstanding role in helping people across the country affected by the condition, and without them, tailored support would be very hard to come by. Their research shows the struggle that people experience in finding the resources and
understanding they need to navigate their lives – which makes the work of this charity absolutely invaluable.
'We are very pleased to partner with Cerebral Palsy Scotland and to help sustain its support service, which plays such a vital role in the lives of so many individuals and families. We look forward to working with Stephanie and her team going forward to maximise support for people across the country living with this condition.'
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Glasgow Times
5 days ago
- Glasgow Times
Cerebral palsy charity says life is 'dire' amid financial fight
As funding and grants become more scarce and the cost of living crisis persists, charities like Cerebral Palsy Scotland (CPS) are seeing incomes drop and bills soar. Stephanie Fraser, CEO of CPS, told the Glasgow Times that in the last year, CPS has seen its income drop by 34% while operating costs have risen by 14%. She continued: "Life for charities like us is dire now. Funding has become so hard and due to the cost of living, electricity and gas have gone up. Just standing still and putting the lights on has become increasingly more expensive. 'Trusts and foundations are inundated with applications and some charities have had to close. The situation is that organizations are struggling to survive because of cash rather than because of the impact they have. "We get 89% of our income every year from our own fundraising efforts. We've always lived within our means, but we don't have much reserve. We're not an old, large organisation that can weather a few bad years." (Image: Picture credit: Sean Purser) The charity was first formed in 1995 and previously went by the name Bobath Scotland before rebranding to CPS in 2020. It was set up by a group of frustrated parents who had to travel to London to access help for their children with cerebral palsy. Though the charity used to only help children, they now also accommodate to adults who have any type of cerebral palsy and live anywhere in Scotland. They offer a range of support services and provide opportunities for the cerebral palsy community to socialise, helping them to overcome barriers and build skills while gaining both knowledge and confidence. Stephanie said: "We're here when people need us. "We have a directory of local services that we can put people in touch with, and we have a programme of social events throughout the year too. For example, this week we had an adult get-together in the centre, which is based in Glasgow. She added: "Our aim as a charity is to say yes to anybody who rings us up. We include mental health and well-being in our offer of support. Whether it's groups, peers or one-to-one, there is a range of services that we offer.' READ NEXT: I Kissed A Boy stars talk Dannii Minogue, favourite Glasgow spots and representation The charity also places significant importance on taking care of the family and support network of someone with cerebral palsy. Stephanie explained: "We are very orientated towards supporting the family. It's not just about the person with cerebral palsy. It's about whoever is around them too, like parents, granny, grandpa, siblings and teachers." (Image: Picture credit: Sean Purser) Stephanie went on to say that CPS is the only charity in the country offering this level of support to such a wide demographic. She added: "There are many organisations who do support people with cerebral palsy, but they might only support a certain age group or geographical area or type of cerebral palsy. Whereas we just take people who have the condition - which is the most common cause of physical disability in children in the world - and we say, 'How can we help?'" The charity also has a Glasgow-specific grant to help families in the city who have someone in their lives with cerebral palsy. For more information on the grant or CPS, click HERE The charity recently received funding from Gordon and Slater - which will be used to continue the delivery of their many vital services. (Image: Picture credit: Sean Purser) READ NEXT: Inside the TRNSMT-inspired rave for Glasgow teenagers It comes as Slater and Gordon have struck up a new partnership with CPS. The law firm works widely with families across Scotland who live with Cerebral Palsy and is a longstanding partner of Cerebral Palsy Scotland's sister charity in Wales, CP Cymru. Derek Couper, head of clinical negligence in Scotland for Slater and Gordon, said: 'Cerebral Palsy Scotland plays an outstanding role in helping people across the country affected by the condition, and without them, tailored support would be very hard to come by. Their research shows the struggle that people experience in finding the resources and understanding they need to navigate their lives – which makes the work of this charity absolutely invaluable. 'We are very pleased to partner with Cerebral Palsy Scotland and to help sustain its support service, which plays such a vital role in the lives of so many individuals and families. We look forward to working with Stephanie and her team going forward to maximise support for people across the country living with this condition.'
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