Cerebral palsy charity says life is 'dire' amid financial fight
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.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Glasgow Times
18-07-2025
- Glasgow Times
Theft from Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital sparks probe
Around 20 staff devices were snatched from an office block within the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Govan. Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board bosses have been forced to fork out £14,000 to replace the stolen equipment, which the Glasgow Times understands contained an array of sensitive and private information. There are now calls for CCTV to be installed to monitor the office buildings, along with ramped up campus security patrols. A whistleblower exclusively told the Glasgow Times that staff were shocked when news of the incidents began going round the hospital. They said: 'This raises serious concerns about data protection and patient confidentiality. 'There have now been repeated incidents of individuals walking into the hospital's office block and making off with valuable equipment — including NHS-issued laptops — from staff offices. 'Management has failed to take any meaningful action and requests by workers for improved protection measures, such as the installation of CCTV or more security on foot around the place, have either been ignored or endlessly delayed.' READ NEXT: Glasgow dad's tragic death after 'routine drug' reaction The source continued: 'Instead of taking action, management continues to put the blame on staff, reminding them not to leave equipment unattended, as if these thefts are their fault or responsibility. Rather than addressing the obvious security shortcomings head-on, this approach amounts to burying their heads in the sand while the problem persists and escalates. 'Worse still, in some cases, replacement laptops have also then been stolen, indicating a systematic failure. Some of these devices contain highly sensitive patient data, which is a real issue. There is concern among staff about what's going here.' (Image: NQ) A letter to staff from Catherine Nivison, general manager of medical specialities, has been shared with the Glasgow Times. It asks employees to now take their laptops home or lock them away in a secure drawer. It reads: 'We continue to experience a high volume of security incidents within the office block at QEUH. In particular NHS issued laptops, and other personal belongings have been stolen. 'Please can I remind everyone that the office block, while accessed by security doors, is not a secure site. Personal belongings and equipment left within the pods is left at the individual's own risk. If you have been issued with an NHS laptop or other IT equipment, please do not leave this unattended within your pod outwith core business hours. "We have replaced around 20 laptops this year alone. The cost of this is nearly £14k which could otherwise be spent on patient care or other departmental supplies that we need. Some individuals have had their replacement laptops stolen also.' The letter continues: 'Please be assured that the police and campus security are involved in investigating this. The estates team is also working with the senior management team in relation to security measures within the office environment, such as security doors and CCTV.' A spokesperson for Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board said that the matter was under review. They added: 'We can confirm a number of thefts of laptops from offices within the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, which have been reported to police. All corporate NHSGGC laptops have encrypted hard drives as standard, which prevents unauthorised access to data which may be on drives within the device. "If a device is stolen, staff are required to report this, and further security measures are taken. It is incorrect to say requests for improved security measures in the office block were ignored as a number of upgrades were completed. "All staff undergo mandatory training in the secure handling of data. Staff are also regularly reminded of their obligations to keep NHS property safe, and to be vigilant of any suspicious activity."
The Herald Scotland
18-07-2025
- The Herald Scotland
Theft from Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital sparks probe
Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board bosses have been forced to fork out £14,000 to replace the stolen equipment, which is understood to have contained an array of sensitive and private information. There are now calls for CCTV to be installed to monitor the office buildings, along with ramped up campus security patrols. A whistleblower exclusively told our sister title the Glasgow Times that staff were shocked when news of the incidents began going round the hospital. They said: 'This raises serious concerns about data protection and patient confidentiality. Read More 'There have now been repeated incidents of individuals walking into the hospital's office block and making off with valuable equipment — including NHS-issued laptops — from staff offices. 'Management has failed to take any meaningful action and requests by workers for improved protection measures, such as the installation of CCTV or more security on foot around the place, have either been ignored or endlessly delayed.' The source continued: 'Instead of taking action, management continues to put the blame on staff, reminding them not to leave equipment unattended, as if these thefts are their fault or responsibility. Rather than addressing the obvious security shortcomings head-on, this approach amounts to burying their heads in the sand while the problem persists and escalates. 'Worse still, in some cases, replacement laptops have also then been stolen, indicating a systematic failure. Some of these devices contain highly sensitive patient data, which is a real issue. There is concern among staff about what's going here.' (Image: NQ) A letter to staff from Catherine Nivison, general manager of medical specialities, has been shared with the Glasgow Times. It asks employees to now take their laptops home or lock them away in a secure drawer. It reads: 'We continue to experience a high volume of security incidents within the office block at QEUH. In particular NHS issued laptops, and other personal belongings have been stolen. 'Please can I remind everyone that the office block, while accessed by security doors, is not a secure site. Personal belongings and equipment left within the pods is left at the individual's own risk. If you have been issued with an NHS laptop or other IT equipment, please do not leave this unattended within your pod outwith core business hours. "We have replaced around 20 laptops this year alone. The cost of this is nearly £14k which could otherwise be spent on patient care or other departmental supplies that we need. Some individuals have had their replacement laptops stolen also.' The letter continues: 'Please be assured that the police and campus security are involved in investigating this. The estates team is also working with the senior management team in relation to security measures within the office environment, such as security doors and CCTV.' A spokesperson for Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board said that the matter was under review. They added: 'We can confirm a number of thefts of laptops from offices within the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, which have been reported to police. All corporate NHSGGC laptops have encrypted hard drives as standard, which prevents unauthorised access to data which may be on drives within the device. "If a device is stolen, staff are required to report this, and further security measures are taken. It is incorrect to say requests for improved security measures in the office block were ignored as a number of upgrades were completed. "All staff undergo mandatory training in the secure handling of data. Staff are also regularly reminded of their obligations to keep NHS property safe, and to be vigilant of any suspicious activity."
Glasgow Times
10-07-2025
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow dad's tragic death after 'routine drug' reaction
John Young suffered from rheumatoid and osteoarthritis for 20 years before undergoing a successful surgery at University Hospital Hairmyres, where he was given six blood-thinning Clexane injections to prevent clots. Despite his family raising concerns with medics that the 59-year-old was struggling with his mobility and still appeared medically unwell, they say he was discharged and told to continue taking the medication to prevent DVTs. Just days later, John collapsed at home and was rushed by ambulance to A&E at University Hospital Wishaw, where medics administered a powerful dose of anticoagulant Heparin to flush out clots in his lungs and aortic valve. John with his grandkids (Image: supplied) He was then transferred to a cardiovascular consultant back at Hairmyres, where it is claimed the drug was given again for around five hours. The family say doctors then realised that it was causing damage to his organs. Daughter Candice Coleman, 33, told how they had to watch helplessly for four days as her dad died an agonising slow death. Speaking exclusively to the Glasgow Times, she said: 'My dad passed in the most horrendous way, screaming out in pain because of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). 'There was no 4T screening carried out to determine if he might suffer a reaction, so by the time doctors realised what was wrong, severe damage had already been done. Instead of stopping clots from forming, the medication caused more to form on his lungs and in the aortic valve. His legs turned purple and his kidney function plummeted, along with his platelets. His body started shutting down right in front of us. 'Dad was moved to intensive care and the consultants were very honest, telling us they had never seen this happen at any point in their careers. They told us the best-case scenario would see his legs amputated and the worst was that he wouldn't survive. John in ICU (Image: supplied) 'For four days we had to just sit and watch him suffer. It was beyond heartbreaking - and then we were told there was nothing more they were able to do.' John was put on end-of-life care to make him comfortable and the family could only sit and hold his hand as he passed away on June 21. John's feet due to blood clots (Image: supplied) Candice said: 'He waited five years for a hip replacement that ultimately cost him his life. 'The surgery itself went well, we had no idea that blood thinning medication could cause vital organs to stop working. I feel I've been robbed of my dad, and that's why we want 4T screening introduced across the NHS to ensure this does not happen to anyone else. 'This procedure is carried out in America before these drugs are administered, so why not here? It could have saved my dad's life if it was standard practice across Scotland's health boards.' 'That is what we will now be campaigning for in my dad's memory.' John Young was a proud family man (Image: supplied) John, who was raised in Barrowfield in the East End of Glasgow before moving to Holytown for the last 25 years, was a devoted husband to wife Jacqueline, dad to Candice and brother Ryan, 29, as well as a proud grandfather to Amiee 16, Blake, eight, and seven-year-old Anna. READ NEXT: Glasgow man faced sleeping rough until charity 'saved him' He worked for 30 years with meat manufacturers Calder Millerfield in Dalmarnock before being medically retired. Candice said: 'He was a real family man and would do anything to help others. He was the best father and grandad and knowing that he's gone now through no fault of his own is absolutely devastating.' The family is demanding answers from health board chiefs. John Young (Image: supplied) Candice added: 'We want justice and we want a proper explanation as to how this was allowed to happen. 'Our dad's life mattered and we are now taking legal steps to ensure no one else goes through the heartbreak we have had to endure. We thought my dad would be enjoying life after getting a new hip, but instead he's been cruelly robbed of his future because of a recognised, albeit rare, complication." The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service told the Glasgow Times that they are now investigating the circumstances surrounding John's death. NHS Lanarkshire is also carrying out a detailed review into his care. Candice added: 'We welcome the investigation and hope this prevents this from happening again, but it won't bring back my dad. We miss him so much – you never expect a nightmare like this to happen to your own family.' A COPFS spokesperson said: "The Procurator Fiscal has received a report on the death of a 59-year-old man in East Kilbride on 21 June 2025. "An investigation is ongoing and any significant developments will be shared with the family of Mr Young.' Russell Coulthard, director of acute services at NHS Lanarkshire, added: 'Although we are unable to comment on the details of this individual case just now, our thoughts and sympathies are with the family at this tragic time. 'NHS Lanarkshire will undertake a review of this patient's death and our senior clinicians have already had extensive conversations with the family. We will continue to liaise directly with them.' Candice has also written to the makers of the medication, Sanofi, to make them aware of what happened when the drug was given to her dad. In a letter back, the company passed on their condolences and said the case had been forwarded to its pharmacovigilance department, which monitors all reports of adverse effects associated with its medicines. Candice said: "We want change. We want proper testing. We don't want this to happen to anyone else."
