Latest news
Ladies who give an F* Lunch - Glasgow
The Ladies who give an F* Lunch in Dundee was a success, having raised £5,000 for the Association. We would like to take the opportunity to thank all of those who were involved in this fantastic day!
For those of you who missed the Dundee Ladies Lunch - you can still get tickets for the Glasgow Lunch - on Sunday 2nd June 2013 in The Radisson BLU Hotel, Glasgow.
Join us for another fabulous afternoon of live entertainment, fun and laughter as we raise vital funds for the Scottish Spina Bifida Association.
Ladies will be treated to a sparkling reception, mouth watering two course lunch, followed by fabulous games, prizes and surprises! Your ticket includes: a champagne reception, sumptuous two course lunch, raffle, auction, games and disco/live entertainment.
Don't Delay - Vote SSBA Today!
Direct Debit Big Break and their supporters are giving to 100 charities and good causes this year and it's up to you to decide on who deserves a Big Break.
The Scottish Spina Bifida Association has been nominated for the chance to win!
The cause with the most votes at the end of this month will receive a £2,000 cash donation from Direct Debit. The runner up will recieve £1,000, and the next 20 will get £100 each.
Your continued support is vital and greatly appreciated as our fundraising team have to raise almost £1million per year to maintain our core services. Therefore we need YOU to vote for us and to give us a Big Break!
Please vote for us by clicking HERE, then click on Vote For This Cause. You can visit the Direct Debit website for more information.
Very importantly - you only have until 31st March to get your vote in, so don't delay, please vote today!
Meet Nika - Our Newest Ambassador
The Scottish Spina Bifida Association is delighted to announce that Nika (born Nicola Cassells), is our newest Ambassador!
Nika is a modern classical singer who has supported the Association over the past few years by getting involved in as many ways as she can.
As well as many performances at Association events, the 23 year old modern classical singer from Ayr is now showing her support by getting involved with fundraising. She will be donating 5% of sales from her merchandise and album to the Association so the more people we encourage to support her, the better! We are extremely grateful for all she has done so far!
Peterhead Running Festival
We are pleased to announce that the Peterhead Running Festival has chosen The Scottish Spina Bifida Association, as one of their nominated charities.
If you have been keeping up to date with the Association over the past couple of months, you will know about our Fitness 100 Club - We are looking for 100 people to take part in raising a minimum of £100 throughout the year by taking part in different sponsored activities whilst getting fit!
In order to kick start your Fitness 100 goal – why not get involved with the Peterhead Running Festival on 30th June at Catto Park Playing Fields and Running Tracks.
Here are a few suggestions to get you going…
Peterhead Half Marathon
ENVIROCENTRE – OUR NEW CORPORATE SUPPORTER
We are thrilled to announce that Envirocentre has chosen the Scottish Spina Bifida Association (SSBA) as their nominated charity for 2013.
Support started off in December with a generous Christmas card donation and they have exciting plans to organise and take part in fundraising events during the course of the year.
Parcel Party!
Congratulations, to Kristen Norquoy for organising a fundraising Parcel Party in aid of the Scottish Spina Bifida Association on Saturday 16th February and raising £1800.
Kristen says - "We had fabulous support from the Merkister Hotel in the form of free room hire and a yummy supper and Malcom Scott, from Orkney Auction Mart, who gave his free time to auction the vast number of parcels we had!
Maralyn's Story
Team Sykes's Everest Base Camp Trek
Overcoming the might of Mount Everest is one of the most demanding feats known to adventurers across the world. But that is exactly the challenge that climbers April and Richard Sykes have set themselves, all in aid of The Scottish Spina Bifida Association (SSBA).
The Scottish newlyweds, who will trek for 15 days from Lukla in Nepal to Everest Base Camp, decided to raise vital funds for SSBA after a family friend's baby was born with Spina Bifida. Richard and April have already raised a remarkable £2,715 and their fundraising efforts are not over yet.
Ahead of their challenge, we caught up with Richard to discuss the daunting trip and the barriers they will have to overcome in order to travel to Everest Base Camp.
Hi, Richard! Can you tell us a little more about your extraordinary journey?
April and I have both been into trekking for some time since we met in 2005. April took a bit of pushing at the start as she preferred high heels to hiking boots but she quickly got the bug! Three years ago we climbed Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, the highest free standing mountain in the world, which took us seven days.
Dundee Ladies who give an F* Lunch
Ladies who give an F* Lunch is back for 2013 on Saturday 23rd February in The Apex City Quay Hotel, Dundee.Join us for another fabulous afternoon of live entertainment, fun and laughter as we raise vital funds for the Scottish Spina Bifida Association in Dundee.
Ladies will be treated to a sparkling reception, mouth watering two course lunch, followed by fabulous games, prizes and surprises! Your ticket includes: A champagne reception, sumptuous two course lunch, Raffle, Auction, Games and disco/live entertainment.
Holiday and Insurance Tips from SSBA
It's getting to that time of the year when many people start booking their summer holidays. The Scottish Spina Bifida Association have been receiving many calls on issues ranging from insurance to getting medical supplies abroad, so we thought it would be helpful to pull together a list of information which would be useful to consider when traveling abroad on holiday.
- If you have a shunt, it is a good idea to carry a shunt alert card (available from SSBA) and have the contact details of your neurosurgeon, in case of emergency. This is so that your latest scans and shunt type can be accessed if a problem arose while you were away. Before you go - discuss your travel plans with your Consultant if you've had recent surgery.
- Another tip is to shop around for travel insurance. Some companies accommodate pre-existing conditions whereas others may quote high premiums for medical needs. We have compiled a list of insurance companies who will insure travellers with Spina Bifida, Hydrocephalus and shunts. These include - AllClear Travel and FISH Insurance. However, it is important to check that your insurance covers all of your specific conditions. Please let us know what companies you have found useful for covering your travel insurance needs.
- Most mainland European and other mainstream destinations tend to have accessible Neurosurgical centres, which is reassuring in case of any shunt problems. However, if you are planning a more remote trip - check if there are appropriate medical facilities nearby.
- Carrying medical supplies can bulk up your luggage so if you are going away for a longer holiday it might be worth considering using services such as World Assist which can have your supplies delivered to your destination. Also bear in mind that custom officers may not recognise your medical supplies and may query items in your hand luggage. To avoid any issues through customs it may be wise to carry a letter from your doctor explaining your need to carry supplies with you.
- When booking your holiday it is worth checking out accessibility, and to ask for a detailed description of the accommodation to make sure it's appropriate for your needs. For example, some hotels advertising wheelchair accessible bathrooms have baths with a rail and low over-bath seat to transfer, whereas others have fully accessible wet rooms with a level access shower.
- Finally, plan ahead so that everything is in place for a great holiday.
Burns Supper Raises £20, 000!
Community Burns Supper Success!
The Scottish Spina Bifida Association Community Burns Supper was a superb evening celebrating the very best of Burns while bringing the local community together.Over 100 guests helped to raise £3,000 at this special Burns Supper held at The Westerwood Hotel in Cumbernauld.
Fitness 100 Ideas!
If you had a look at our previous blog post you will know a bit more about the Fitness 100 Club. But if you need some inspiration on how to get started, we have some great ideas for you!Swim - Challenge yourself to a sponsored swim by taking part in the Great Scottish Swim. Dive into this challenge, head first, and raise your £100 target!
Fitness 100 Club
NEW YEAR, NEW YOU!
We're looking for 100 people to join this free and exclusive club while agreeing to raise a minimum of £100 throughout the year. As long as you're getting fit in some way, Fitness 100 allows you to set your own pace and your own goals whilst having fun reaching your target. Together we can raise £10,000!
Community Burns Supper at The Westerwood Hotel
Celebrate the birth of the Baird and support a local charity. We are staging a special community Burns Supper at the Westerwood Hotel in Cumbernauld at 7pm on Friday 18th January. This vital fundraiser for Scottish Spina Bifida Association (SSBA), is a mixed Burns Supper for both Lassies and Ladies to enjoy - with a traditional three course Burns banquet and verse, plus a Ceilidh and disco too!
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