Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Scotland

20/02/2026

Leanne Belch, mum to six-year-old Amber who has spina bifida and hydrocephalus, is supporting Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Scotland's Choose Opportunity campaign. 🗳

Amber has had more than 30 operations in her young life and needs regular care and medical appointments. Leanne's older daughter Laila, 12, has arthritis.

🗣 Leanne says:

"It took me eight months to get funding and I’m still facing another long wait to get access to respite. The process is leaving me feeling more tired and overwhelmed.”

Leanne started the process of applying for respite with her Local Authority back in April. In January, they learned that they have been successful in receiving respite funding, but the wait is not over. She now could face up to a year to wait for an appropriate respite place to become available:

“We’re grateful to the Council for this funding and to the support from Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Scotland throughout this long process. However now the wait begins to actually get respite in place. The whole thing just feels endless.

“Everything seems like a battle when you have disabled kids. Why can’t it be easier? We’ve been through so much as a family.

“The whole process is leaving me feeling more tired and overwhelmed. I needed respite eight months ago and I need it even more now. It is so difficult to get support and there are so many families struggling out there.

“It’s great that politicians have made access to respite a right, but right now, the way the system is, the only thing that’s happening is people are just waiting and waiting.

“There’s no point in having a right to something that you can’t get access to when you need it.”

Please sign our 'Choose Opportunity' petition and call on party leaders to improve access to respite, making sure it is available quickly when parents like Leanne need it. ✍

Join Leanne and sign our petition today: ⬇
https://www.sbhscotland.org.uk/choose-opportunity

19/02/2026

Did you know that the Wheelmap website provides insight into how accessible places are? 👩‍🦽‍➡️🧑‍🦽‍➡️👨‍🦽‍➡️

Wheelmap is an online map for finding wheelchair accessible places and anyone can mark places using a traffic light system. Wheelmap allows you to find and mark wheelchair accessible places for free.

In addition, Google Maps has an ‘Accessible Places’ feature which displays whether things like the entrance, seating or toilets are accessible for wheelchair users, and if someone confirms they’re not, it shows this too.

Have you used Wheelmap or the Google Maps 'Accessible Places' feature and found them useful? Let us know in the comments! ⬇

Wheelmap is an online map to search, find and mark wheelchair-accessible places. Get involved by marking public places like bars, restaurants, cinemas or supermarkets!

18/02/2026

“The constant battle to live fully in an inaccessible world is becoming increasingly difficult for many of us.” 💔

Amjid Majeed is supporting Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Scotland's Choose Opportunity campaign.

Amjid is a regular attendee at SBH Scotland’s adult social groups, where he has found connection, belonging and most importantly, friends for life.

🗣 Amjid says:

“Time and time again, disabled people are targeted for harassment, face discrimination, barriers, and exclusion.

“We fully deserve a fair and better quality of life and living conditions.”

Join Amjid and support our campaign and tell party leaders to choose opportunity for disabled people. 🗳

Sign our 'Choose Opportunity' petition today to call for change: ⬇
https://www.sbhscotland.org.uk/choose-opportunity

17/02/2026

We are delighted to share that Scottish Curling are hosting six free Paralympic Family Fun sessions during March in Kinross, Edinburgh and Dumfries. 🥌

The sessions seek to bring members of the family together to have a go at Curling! Curling is a truly inclusive sport, with options for sliding delivery, stick delivery, and seated stick delivery for wheelchair users. 👩‍🦽🧑‍🦽👨‍🦽

These Family Fun session are suitable for those aged 8 years and over. Spaces are limited, so please book ASAP!

Book now: ⬇
https://wkf.ms/3Nq1PrD

If you have any questions, please email development@scottishcurling.org.

16/02/2026

📢 Join the Campaign and Tell Party Leaders: Choose Opportunity for Disabled People. 📢

So many challenges facing disabled people and their families are a result of political choices made by our politicians.

Too many spaces and services are still inaccessible. Disabled people are more likely to live in poverty, struggle to find jobs and experience lower wellbeing.

In a country as rich as Scotland it shouldn’t be this way. You can call for politicians to make a difference choice; to choose opportunity. 🙏

We want to see Scotland be the most opportunity rich country in the world for disabled people – a place where everyone gets the chance to feel unstoppable. 💜

By signing our petition, you will be calling for all political parties at the Scottish Parliament elections in May to create more opportunities for disabled people. 🗳️

Find out more and sign our ‘Choose Opportunity’ petition to call for change: ⬇
www.sbhscotland.org.uk/choose-opportunity

14/02/2026

Happy Valentine's Day! 💗

Celebrate those you love - your friends, family and loved ones - on this special day by tagging them in the comments.

Together we are unstoppable!

11/02/2026

You're not alone – we're here to listen and support you. 💜

We have a counselling service available to our Adult Members with our Wellbeing Counsellor Kevin O'Donnell. Kevin is there to listen with compassion and empathy.

If you need support, get in touch with us at support@sbhscotland.org.uk for more information on accessing this service.

10/02/2026

The Falkirk Wheel Abseil is coming soon! 🙌

Taking place on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd March at the iconic Falkirk Wheel, this fantastic event offers the chance to abseil 100ft off the world’s first, and only, rotating boat lift.

By taking part, you will also be helping to raise vital funds to help the families we support feel unstoppable. 💜

Good luck to all of the incredible people taking part! Both days are now completely sold out 🙏

Please note that the minimum sponsorship is £220, which includes a £20 registration fee to be paid at the time of booking.

09/02/2026

📆 Save the date! Join us for our Corporate Golf Day on Thursday 20th August 2026.

This year SBH Scotland’s Corporate Golf Day returns to the iconic Dundonald Links course. ⛳

Join us for a fabulous day of golf, networking and fundraising, including:

✅Breakfast rolls with tea and coffee on arrival
✅18 wonderful holes of golf, with a shotgun start
✅On-course games
✅Delicious 2-course dinner following the golf
✅Prize presentation, raffle and mini auction

A team of four costs £1,200 and a team of four with tee sponsorship costs £1,350.

Register your interest by contacting Samantha Terry at samantha.terry@sbhscotland.org.uk.

Find out more : ⬇
https://www.sbhscotland.org.uk/content/golf-day/

Thank you to our Headline Sponsor fatBuzz for their continued support of our Corporate Golf Day. 💜

07/02/2026

07/02/2026

What a morning at Craighalbert Church Hall. 😃

Our family groups and teen/young adult crew joined forces for a brilliant dry curling session with Scottish Curling & ParalympicsGB athlete — our amazing ambassador — Meggan Dawson‑Farrell. 🥌

Meggan, who has spina bifida and hydrocephalus first discovered a passion for sport at one of our events many years ago. Today, she was back inspiring the next generation with her energy, skill and unstoppable positivity.

Huge thanks to Scottish Curling for helping make it happen. Moments like this show exactly why inclusive sport matters.