download Annual Review 2009-2010 here - Sense Scotland

Annual Review | 09/10 

Working with deafblind 

and disabled children and 

adults all over Scotland 

Supporting people: 

• to live independently in their own homes 

• through day support services 

• with residential short breaks and respite 

• through arts, music, drama and outdoor activities 

• with specialist advice, information and resources

25 Year Timeline_ 

Sense Scotland is 25 years old 

In 1985 Sense Scotland was formalised as a charity. This year’s annual review will look at the past 

year in the organisation while reflecting on the past 25 years through the favourite memories of 

families, staff and the people who use our services. Sense Scotland works with children and adults 

who have communication support needs because of deafblindness, sensory impairment, learning 

or physical disability. We lead the field in communication and innovative support services for 

people who are marginalised because of challenging behaviour, health care requirements and the 

complexity of their support needs. Our services are designed to provide choice and continuity across 

age groups and we work closely with families and colleagues from health, education and social work. 

More than 1,000 children, adults and their families benefit in some way from an involvement with 

Sense Scotland. In April 2010 we had over 1200 staff. We are providing services to people from 

21 Scottish local authorities. 

Contents: 

01. Chairman 

02. Chief Executive 

03. Supporting people 

04. Connecting with donors 

06. Rural communities 

08. 25 Years on 

Our current strategic 

priorities are to: 

• support and develop 

positive health for service 

users and staff. 

• actively promote a culture 

of high standards and 

quality. 

• support and promote 

service users and families to 

drive forward change. 

• develop opportunities 

for service users, families, 

and staff. 

• promote an efficient 

and effective organisation 

at all levels. 

10. Overbridge 

11. Highlights 

12. Working with families 

14. Supporting transitions 

17. Creating opportunities 

21. Thank yous / 

Financial summary 

Services: 

• family advisory services 

• community living with support 

for adults 

• support services for adults 

• support services for children 

• residential short breaks for 

adults (Dundee and South 

Lanarkshire) and for children 

in Greater Glasgow and 

Argyll and Bute 

• art development work for 

children and adults 

• outdoor education for 


• practice skills training for 

professionals 

• assessments, representation, 

consultation and policy 

development 

• general and health information 

• enquiry services 

Trustees / Areas of interest: 

Roy Cox Chair 

Neil Farquharson Vice Chair 

Douglas Smart Treasurer 

David Newton Legal 

Norman Ritchie Business 

Duncan Tannahill Business 

and Fundraising 

Marion McArdle Family Issues 

Isobel Allan Family Issues 

and Public Policy 

Usman Rehman Family Issues 

and Health 

National Service User 

Consultation Group: 

Steph Clark 

Ewen Farquharson 

Murray Farquharson 

Ian Johnston 

Ailill Finlayson 

Yvonne Larkin 

John Ross 

Lewis Scott 

Peter Wilson 

Highland Consultation Group: 

Laura Boreland 

Gavin McCulloch 

Alex Gemmell 

Johnny Cousins 

Farquhar Keenan 

Gail Richardson 

David McConnachie 

Lewis Anderson 

Michael Fraser 

John Mackay 

Alex Smith

1985 – Sense Scotland becomes a formal voluntary organisation and appoints its first member of staff, Gillian Morbey. // 

Looking back... looking forward 

Roy Cox, Chairman 

We are celebrating 25 years of Sense Scotland but 

actually the organisation’s roots go back much 

further. I was reflecting on the hard work of the 

first group of parents who began meeting in the 

mid-1970s. Sadly some of those dedicated parents 

like Dr John Tulloch and Danny Nimmo are no 

longer with us but still their legacy remains with 

us today. Over the period we have also lost some 

of our children, staff and trustees, all people that 

have made a difference and contributed to what 

Sense Scotland is today. 

I was privileged to attend our first staff and 

volunteer awards ceremony this year. At this 

wonderful event I was reminded of the incredible 

dedication of volunteers who have served the 

organisation for over twenty years, really from the 

beginning. I was also delighted to see the hard 

work of our younger staff recognised. While the 

history of our organisation is important, it’s equally 

important that our younger staff are given the 

space to grow and make their own histories. 

So, 25 years on we have undoubtedly made 

mistakes, I’m sure we could have done things 

differently but I also know that we have achieved 

a great deal with many things which have made 

me and the other trustees exceptionally proud. 

Of course we have worked together with many 

colleagues and partners and we have had the 

fantastic benefit of two wonderful Patrons in Mary, 

Dowager Countess of Strathmore LLD DL and now 

the Duchess of Sutherland. 

In concluding on behalf of the trustees, I think we 

can allow ourselves some reflections from the past 

on our 25th anniversary. In doing so, I am sure 

we will all be looking forward to another 25 years 

and beyond. 

Sense Scotland Annual Review 2009/2010 

01

1986 – First office and charity shop open in Glasgow. 

25 years of inspiration! 

Gillian Morbey OBE, Chief Executive 

Last year I was reflecting on funding and our 

need to restructure staffing in direct services. 

It was a tough year and looking at the financial 

and other forecasts I think we are all expecting 

funding and services to remain difficult at least for 

the next year or so. There are a number of possible 

responses to difficult times. They could include 

doing less, cutting services and saying no to 

further developments. However our organisation 

has grown from parents who believed that 

everything is possible and I think that approach 

is now locked into the organisation DNA. 

There is no doubt that we are cautious, assessing 

risks and challenges more closely but we are 

still developing innovative ways of doing things 

that are not all about money. We are also rich in 

resources with service users, staff, families and 

colleagues, so there is still much that can be done. 

We are in a much stronger position to ‘weather’ 

the storm, not least because of our fantastic 

supporters and funders. Many of the Trusts, 

who have experienced difficulties, have continued 

to support us through some wonderful funding. 

I believe our responsibility in return is to 

continue to drive forward change that increases 

opportunities for service users and families while 

being as efficient as possible with resources. 

To this end we have experienced some fantastic 

moments. The Auchtermuchty Burns supper, now 

a famous annual event was a wonderful occasion 

entirely organised by staff and service users. The 

‘In Our Own Voices’ exhibition in Inverness brought 

colleagues from social work and the NHS together 

along with carers and service users. The event 

allowed people to remember and celebrate life in 

long stay hospital while at the same time looking 

forward to new lives in the community. 

The service users astonished us with their 

performance of their own play PARK. 

They performed at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh 

and later at TouchBase and there are plans to 

go on tour to Dundee and Inverness. There were 

also ordinary but just as inspiring moments. 

Service users celebrated birthdays and a variety of 

personal achievements; they undertook their work 

with dedication and dignity; they experienced their 

first holidays and took many first steps both large 

and small, but all significant. 

One day I plan to gather these wonderful people 

and moments together and we will write a book 

that tells the stories of so many difficult but 

inspiring journeys. Maybe our 25th year is a good 

time to ask you all to share your memories, 

good and not so good. 

Our annual review can only give you a taste of a 

year with Sense Scotland but nevertheless I hope 

you enjoy reading some of this year’s moments. 

02 Sense Scotland Annual Review 2009/2010

1987 – First group of people move into the new service in Overbridge, Glasgow. the first service for deafblind adults in Scotland; first family adviser appointed. // 

Supporting people all year round 

Brian Crichton: a life with Sense Scotland 

Brian Crichton, who turns 40 in 2010 as we 

celebrate our 25th anniversary year, was one 

of the first to use the organisation’s services. 

Brian now uses sign language to communicate 

but had very limited signs and communication 

when he moved into Overbridge. He has shared, 

like many of the people we work with, a wide 

range of challenges and experiences and is now 

a talented artist who is devoted to the outdoor 

life. Brian’s parents Jean and Jimmy talked 

about the kind of support he has received from 

Sense Scotland over the years. Jimmy passed 

away very recently and our thoughts are with 

Jean, Brian and all his family. 

When Brian was born in 1970, his family 

faced many challenges in trying to secure the 

support and services they knew he needed 

as a disabled child. 

“The first 3 years of Brian’s life was 

mostly hospitals and clinics,” explained 

mum Jean. “There wasn’t really very 

much for him. He would go to crèche 

maybe one day a week. I always 

thought there was more to Brian... 

because they said there were no reflexes 

when he was born. And I always treated 

him as a normal child.” 

Support was difficult to get, then when he was 

aged three, Jean got a call from long-time Sense 

Scotland supporter Sheena Tulloch, whose son 

Richard is also now supported by us. Sheena had 

started a group for disabled children in Brechin, 

which proved to be a real success for Brian. 

Following times spent in various schools and in 

hospital, Brian moved towards adult support 

services and the chance to live in his own home. 

This was the start of Brian’s relationship with 

Sense Scotland. Opened in 1987 and still used 

today Overbridge was the first service for 

deafblind adults in Scotland. Brian was part of 

the first group who lived there. “That was the 

perfect place for him, because art was all round 

about,” explained Jean. “Brian came on in leaps 

and bounds since he came through there. Sense 

Scotland has come a long way since Brian started 

there.” Brian’s passion for drawing has always 

been encouraged by Jean. “I used to draw with 

him a lot. That’s the way I used to communicate 

with him...through drawing.” Brian’s skill in visual 

arts has always been supported by Sense Scotland 

and he was highly commended in the third 

Helen Keller art award. 

In 2003 as support services expanded across 

the country, Brian had the chance to move closer 

to his family. With his own flat, he had more 

independence and saw his family regularly as 

Jean explained: “I’m quite happy where Brian 

is now. I can see him any time I want and he 

comes here as well.” 

Brian has had some amazing outdoor experiences 

including Scandanavian treks, camping and 

regular walks. He has also been working with our 

Outdoor Activities Coordinator and visual arts 

tutors, to take part in an exhibition about his 

countryside walks. Jean is delighted to see how 

Brian has flourished: “We’ve had a lot of ups and 

downs with Brian but I can’t say that I’ve ever 

regretted any of it.” 


03

1989 – Children in Need award us £300,000 for a new Family Centre. 

Connecting with our donors 

Sara Bannerman was awarded the prestigious 

Fundraiser of the year Award at the Institute of 

Fundraising Awards. Sara has responsibility for 

raising income from individuals for Sense Scotland. 

John Brady, our Head of Fundraising said, 

“Income from individuals has risen dramatically 

from £280,000 when she came into post as donor 

development manager in 2001, to over £915,000 

last year, a 3-and-a-half fold increase over 7 years. 

This award is fully deserved and we appreciate the 

care she has given our donors over the years.” 

Kimberley talks about 

being supported in her own flat 

We support Kimberly to live in her own flat 

in Dundee. She explained how important her 

support staff were: 

“When I was at respite I didn’t get good 

support and was left on my own a lot, but in 

my own place, it’s a lot better.” 

What do you like best about the staff that 

work with you? 

“They’re very 

supportive.” 

…and what kind of things do you like doing? 

“I like going out shopping, 

going out to my activities, 

go to the blind society 

in the town, I like going 

swimming, going to the 

blind club on a Thursday 

night, that’s about it 

really, and I like doing 

my house work.” 

Staff Awards 

Our first Staff Awards 

ceremony celebrated 

the achievements 

of staff across 

Scotland. Organised 

and presented by the 

Training and Learning 

Centre (TLC) and 

colleagues, the event 

recognised professional 

development through 

SQA attainment and 

professional awards 

across a range of 

other disciplines. 

“This wonderful event 

recognised the hard 

work of volunteers 

and support staff, 

who are totally 

committed to the 

people we support,” 

said Chief Executive, 

Gillian Morbey. 

Shop achievements 

Our shops continue 

to thrive, generating 

literally hundreds of 

thousands of pounds 

to support the disabled 


we work with. 

Our Peebles shop 

was given the Shop 

of the Year Award. 

Lorna Stavert, 

Manager of the 

Peebles shop, 

was delighted to 

receive the award 

along with staff 

and volunteers. 

Over 60 individuals 

were recognised and 

three teams were 

shortlisted for the 

Team of the Year 

Award, won by our 

Auchtermuchty 

housing support 

service. A group of long 

serving shop volunteers 

were rewarded with a 

specially commissioned 

print by Sense Scotland 

artist Sasha. 

Two support staff 

won Professional 

Development Award 

grants to help them 

pursue a creative idea 

which will benefit 

Sense Scotland and 

the people we support. 

Lorna explains why the 

shop is successful: 

“Customers know 

they get really good 

value with quality 

products at bargain 

prices. All staff and 

volunteers are really 

approachable, both 

volunteers and staff 

keep it a friendly shop!” 

Our Bathgate 

shop celebrated its 

10th anniversary, 

while Peebles won 

an ‘Apprentice-style’ 

challenge, 

raising £2,200. 


Working towards change 

We continue to work with families and the people 

who use our services in a variety of different 

ways to ensure that their views are expressed 

to government and other policy makers. One 

of our trustees with an interest in family issues 

works with us on our Public Policy Group and her 

input and support is very valuable indeed. Other 

family members have been supported to attend 

meetings with policy makers. Timescales are 

often short during consultations and families’ 

priorities need to be balanced with care of their 

sons and daughters. We appreciate very much the 

contribution they make. Our Consultation Group 

is made up of people who use our services and 

its members have also made valuable 

contributions over the last year. 

1991 – Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal opens Family Centre. // 

Getting together across the country 

It’s great to catch up with friends. At services 

throughout the country the people we support 

have been celebrating at a number of parties. 

The Inverness Christmas party was a great night 

with some guests as far travelled as Skye and 

Glenfinnan. Ian, who is supported to live in his own 

home, just outside Inverness, was a very confident 

and welcoming Santa for the event. Glenrothes 

also celebrated Christmas in style with a buffet 

lunch and music. In Auchtermuchty, the annual 

Burns Night brought some winter cheer with 

people from Fife, Dundee, Bridge of Earn 

and Forfar seeing old friends and celebrating 

with music and a traditional Burns supper. 

Singers for the evening were Murray and Ewen 

Farquharson, Stephanie Clarke, and John Ross. 

A special mention for the wonderful accordian 

medley by Alan and Murray. 

Husky trio 

raise thousands 

A trio of intrepid supporters 

successfully completed a 250km 

journey across the Arctic, 

raising over £9,000 in the 

process. Congratulations to Lisa 

McIntosh, Pam Goodwin and 

George Antill for braving the 

extreme temperatures as they 

each drove their own team of 

dogs through the wilderness 

from Norway to Sweden. The 

fact that one of the participants 

described the challenge as 

“gruelling, punishing, awesome 

and magnificent” is pretty 

clear indication that this was a 

genuine experience of a lifetime. 


05

1992 - First Helen Keller art award held. // 1993 – First respite services offered to children at the Family Centre. // 

Supporting people in rural communities 

Growing with Katie 

We started to support Katie in 2005, to live in her 

own home in Glenfinnan, close to where her family 

stays. Support workers Margaret and Linda have 

seen how Katie’s confidence has grown through 

her support by Sense Scotland and has a great 

time visiting her favourite shops and being out and 

about. Katie uses some signing to communicate 

along with her own gestures and vocalisations 

and has a photo-board indicating which staff 

are working and the activities she has planned. 

What did Katie’s family hope the move to her 

own home would achieve? 

Linda explained how the move to her own home 

had worked out: “The good thing is that the family 

is able to drop in. It is very important that they 

can see Katie on a regular basis.” 

Katie has also started getting more involved 

with wider social and group activities. “Anything 

outdoors, anything where there’s a bit of 

excitement and lots of activity, Katie’s really 

happy,” said Linda. 

Support staff also encourage Katie to look 

after and enjoy her home through an activity 

planner, which changes weekly. 

“We’ll support Katie hand over hand to do the 

washing up after dinner, although she doesn’t 

like the pots!” explained Linda. “She draws the 

line there. Katie likes to be involved in things, 

just normal every day living sort of things.” 

Because of where Katie lives she is very reliant 

on the car, so it’s up to the team to help and 

support Katie to budget as effectively as she can. 

Linda spoke to Katie: “We don’t waste your money! 

I think that’s probably the biggest challenge we’ve 

got, but otherwise it is just careful planning.” 

“I’ve seen a huge improvement in Katie’s 

communication,” added Linda. “Today, on the 

bus, Margaret and I were talking and Katie 

actually got Margaret’s face and turned it 

and said “don’t speak to Linda, speak to me!” 

Katie’s independence is developing… 

and what we do today obviously helps 

Katie for tomorrow..” 

New respite service in Argyll and Bute 

Last Autumn building started 

on our new respite service 

in Helensburgh. With five 

residential places, disabled 

children throughout Argyll and 

Bute can expect high quality 

care and support. At present 

these young people have to 

travel to other parts of the 

country for specialist support. 

This new, accessible base will 

make life easier for children and 

their families. Run in partnership 

with Argyll and Bute Council and 

supported by the Ardlui Trust 

from the start, the resource 

will be supporting people from 

summer 2010. 


1994 – Day services base for adults opens in Durham Street, Glasgow. // 

Steven’s move to independence 

Steven is in his mid twenties and has 24-hour 

support to live in his own home in Skye for 3 years. 

Having previously been at school in Aberdeen, 

the move allowed him to live more closely 

to his parents, Mike and Sheena, and the rest 

of his family. Initially there was real difficulty in 

getting a service set up for Steven, so his parents 

approached a number of organisations and were 

pleased with Sense Scotland’s approach. Steven 

is very precise in the way that he communicates 

and needs staff to be equally precise and to 

support him with things he does not understand. 

Steven and his team have worked hard at 

achieving and maintaining his independence. 

“We wanted Steven to have a bit of 

independence...and also that he wouldn’t 

be too far away from us,” said Mike. “He’s 

quite fond of his family, and they are of him of 

course. It’s worked out well him being here.” 

Sheila said, “It’s running well, and Steven’s come 

on great. He’s happy! We’re very lucky, and we’ve 

got a great team of support staff and carers.” 

Steven’s support staff make sure he gets involved 

in the wider community. Mike explained, 

“He travels into Inverness to his music class, 

he goes bowling, and he likes things like that. 

Most of the stuff is quite a distance away. He’s got 

a Motability car… so any of his carers can drive it.” 

Steven likes to be active, loves his music and goes 

swimming when they can fit it in. He also enjoys 

his computer and he does jigsaws on it. 

“He’s got a better social life than we have!” 

joked Sheila. “He’s much more settled now 

when he comes home. He’s much happier. 

We have quality time with him now at home.” 

Steven’s parents are also clear about the qualities 

needed from support staff. Sheila said, “I think just 

caring is the main thing and just understanding. 

“Cos it’s not easy.” 

Mike added, “Human qualities as much as 

anything. And common sense.” 

Young at heart Bill leads abseil 

85 years young Bill Rossine was in the very first 

group up the Finnieston Crane for our charity 

abseil. Raising a whopping £485 he led the way 

for 51 other participants who collectively raised 

over £10,000. After zig-zagging their way up 

the metal stairwell through the heart of the crane 

the abseilers then descended165 feet, SAS-style 

in a freefall abseil. Well done to everyone 

who took part. 

Children and Families’ fundraisers 

Two events have helped raise hundreds of pounds 

to support our Children and Families Services. 

‘Ladies at Eleven’ in TouchBase was a chance 

to enjoy lunch, tea and scones topped off with 

comedian Raymond Mearns. Our third LUV Fete, 

also at TouchBase, included a raffle, tombola and 

stalls selling crafts made by children and young 

people. Story teller Clare Humes was a big hit with 

her sensory story about love. 


07

1995 – Community houses open in Coatbridge, Fife and Glasgow. Chief Executive Gillian Morbey, awarded OBE. 

Sense Scotland, 25 Years On 

It’s 25 years since Sense Scotland was formalised as a charity, growing from its roots as a small 

group of families pressing for services for their children who were affected by deafblindness, many 

because of maternal rubella. From this small group and its first employee (our now Chief Executive 

Gillian Morbey), the organisation has supported hundreds of disabled people and their families. 

Look I’m Here 

Gill Morbey and Stuart Aitken look back 

25 years to a survey carried out in the early 

days of Sense Scotland. 

Twenty-five years ago we set to find out how 

many deafblind people there were in Scotland, 

where they were, and, most important of all 

what kind of services they were receiving. 

At the time we didn’t know what we would 

find, so we couldn’t be sure what would help 

to make people’s lives better, nor how best 

to effect that change with and for people. 

We identified many people, the few who 

were well supported being far outnumbered 

by the many in unsuitable accommodation, 

often medicated to sort out their challenging 

behaviour, while underlying medical problems 

that could have been addressed were left 

untreated. We committed ourselves to bringing 

about change not just in the lives of individuals 

and their families. We understood too that 

for change to stand the test of time attitudes 

would have to change, and new structures 

would have to be put in place. 

We engaged with professionals, local authorities, 

health boards and central government and 

achieved notable successes along the way. 

Identifying what changes needed to take place 

was always easy because we asked families 

and deafblind people themselves to tell us 

what mattered to them. We still work that way. 

Effecting that change took a lot more work 

but we, then, don’t give up easily! 

The impact of Look I’m Here belies the size 

of the document. Its findings drove what 

Sense Scotland did and, through the core 

values we later established, how we did it. 

Much remains to be done. 

Dr. Stuart Aitken, Senior Consultant 

and Gillian Morbey, Chief Executive 


1997 – Dundee, community housing and supported living services open. // 


09

1998 – Supported living services in Ardrossan and Auchtermuchty open. Advisory office opens in Dundee. Arts development services introduced. 

Overbridge: a stepping stone for independence 

Our Overbridge service is central to history 

of the organisation and many of the people 

we support spent time at this, our first ever 

service. Andy Murphy, our registered manager 

at Overbridge, found out what happened 

to the people who spent time there: 

“Compiling the names brought back some 

memories of the unique people that we have 

supported over the year. It’s good to see 

that the majority have remained with 

Sense Scotland” 

Overbridge: Where Are They Now? 

Katie S: 

Katie now lives 

in her own house 

in Kelty. 

Lesley N: 

Lesley moved to a 

shared house then 

on to her own flat 

in Glasgow. 

Lewis S: 

Lewis moved to a 

shared house then 

on to his own flat 

in Glasgow. 

Stephen D: 

Stephen moved 

into his own house 

in Saltcoats, 

sharing with his 

flatmate. 

Robert G: 

Robert moved 

into his own house 

in Coatbridge, 


flatmate. 

Mark H: 

Moved into 

his own house 


sharing with 

his flatmate. 

Nicola B: 

Nicky moved into 

her own house in 

Pollok. Sadly she 

died in 2005. 

Peter T: 

Peter moved into 

his own house in 

Pollok, sharing 

with his flatmate. 

Stephen M: 

Stephen came 

for a holiday at 

Overbridge. 

Paul I: 

Paul moved into 

his own house 

Saltcoats, sharing 


Sadly, Paul died 

in 2006. 

Morag M: 

Moved into her 

own house in 

Braidcraft Road 

in Pollok, sharing 

with her flatmate. 

Angela P: 

Moved into her 

own house in 

Pollok, sharing 

with her flatmate. 

Daniel M and 

Robert B, 

Andrena M 

and Ruth B: 

Danny, Robert, 

Andrena and 

Ruth continue to 

live in their own 

independent flats 

within Overbridge. 

Steven A: 

Steven moved 

to his own flat in 

Glasgow, sharing 


Brian C and 

Richard T: 

Brian and Richard 

Moved to their 

own flats within 

a house in Forfar, 

sharing with 

flatmates. 

Julie M: 

Moved to a shared 

house in Glasgow 

then went to live 

with her parents. 

Susan M: 

Susan moved into 


Pollok sharing with 

her flatmate. 

Kirsty C: 

Kirsty moved to 


North Kelvinside, 

Glasgow. 

Eleanor S, 

Stephen M, 

Mark H, 

Kerry F and 

Ghazala A: 

They are all 

moving to their 

own flats 

in Glasgow in 

July 2010. 

Felicity S: 

Felicity died 

peacefully in 

Overbridge 

in 2010. 

Andrena M: 

Andrena 

continues to live 

at Overbridge. 

Allison H: 

Allison moved 

into her own 

house in John 

Smith Gardens 

in Coatbridge. 

David F: 

David moved 

into his own 

house in John 

Smith gardens 



flatmate. 

Scott M: 

Now lives in 

his own house 

in Kelty. 

10 Sense Scotland Annual Review 2009_2010

1999 – Sense Scotland artists exhibit in Glasgow and Portugal. Day service provision introduced in Dundee. // 

People reflect on their Sense Scotland highlights! 

Family involvement 

is important to 

parents and carers. 

Jamie’s mum, 

Lesley explains: 

“For myself the most 

important thing when 

I came in was the 

family involvement 

and the fact that it was 

an organisation based 

around families. The 

fact that you can pick 

up the phone, speak 

to someone and get 

advice; they’ve always 

maintained that.” 

Support worker 

Leas from Dundee: 

“Kimberly has a great 

sense of humour, I can 

see that she’s come 

on leaps and bounds 

since she’s moved in 

here and I like knowing 

that I’m part of that 

and that I’ve helped 

her to develop and her 

confidence to grow.” 

James West, 

Regional Manager 

for the North East: 

“I spent a lot of my 

first few years in Sense 

Scotland opening new 

services, seeing people 

move out of hospital, 

develop new skills and 

gain opportunities. Just 

seeing the change in 

people over a period 

of time after they 

left a hospital setting 

for their own homes. 

So developing new 

services has definitely 

been my highlight.” 

For Doug from 

Inverness, a simple 

moment stands out: 

“I feel quite fortunate 

that I’ve been involved 

in the transition from 

a hospital situation to 

seeing people moving 

into their own homes 

and to see how they 

have enjoyed their own 

homes. I can give one 

example, very early, 

when people were in 

their own homes some 

post came through 

a service user’s door 

and that person picked 

up the mail and just 

looked at it for quite 

a long time. I suddenly 

thought that person 

never had post put 

through their own 

door before, that was 

very humbling.” 

Paul Hart, 

Principal Officer for 

Special Projects: 

A camping trip 

organised as part of 

our Getting Together 

project a few years 

ago was memorable. 

Sitting up late around 

the campfire, telling 

stories and waking up 

in the morning under 

the stars. The reaction 

from one camper 

Robert when he woke 

up will stay with me 

for a long time. He 

was very excited while 

at the same time 

completely bemused. 

He started laughing 

and this spread to 

others around the 

camp and it was 

a very jolly start 

to the day. 

Manager Julie Ritchie 

from Aberdeen: 

“I just wanted to do 

something good with 

my life, I think it’s 

a very rewarding job, 

helping people and 

making their life 

a little bit better, it’s 

very rewarding.” 

Gillian McGrory 

manager of our 

children’s respite 

service in Glasgow 

values the involvement 

she has with parents 

and carers: 

“We’ve actually 

got a really good 

relationship with 

the parents of the 

young people who 

use this service. 

Parents are able to 

come in whenever 

they like.” 


11

2000 – First supported living services in Aberdeen and Finglassie. New respite service starts in Dundee. // 2001 – Supported living services start in Inverness. // 

Working with families and carers 

We work with disabled people of all ages 

and their families. Our family advisory service 

responds to families’ requests across Scotland 

and our Parent Enabler Project (PEP) supports 

families with younger children in the NHS 

Greater Glasgow and Clyde area. 

Chloe 

Since her play sessions from our Parent Enabler 

Project when she was 3 years old, Chloe and her 

parents, Lorraine and Pete, have received support 

from Sense Scotland in a range of different ways. 

Initial play sessions were a crucial way for our 

PEP team to connect with Chloe and find out what 

she enjoyed doing. Sensory stories and messy 

play, helped Chloe to play and learn. 

“We looked at eye-pointing, to encourage 

Chloe to make some choices in her play, around 

that time.” explained PEP advisory worker 

Rachael Tonge. 

“She does that very well now!” Mum Lorraine 

added: “You can tell if she wants to do it, or if 

she doesn’t, very clearly.” 

PEP also worked early on through physiotherapy 

which involved lots of actions and movement. 

“At the time, Chloe was not quite as able to sit 

as she is now…and supporting her, it was difficult. 

It was good to have the extra pair of hands - and 

the extra person to sing!” 

Rachael also helped through the process of 

choosing schools for Chloe and passed on useful 

information and contacts for the family. 

Lorraine and Chloe are especially fond of the 

regular parties which Sense Scotland throw 

for children and young people. 

“We love the Christmas parties because the 

interactive story is great.” 

And as Lorraine noticed, a sensory story at our 

recent LUV Fete event, had a real impact on Chloe: 

“She loved that. We spent ages afterwards talking 

to the storyteller because Chloe had been so 

animated. She had actually been trying to pick 

the beads up out of the jewellery box… We’ve still 

got the two pink hearts that Claire (the storyteller) 

gave us at the end of the story.” 

Our Out and About resource was the next area 

of support within Children and Families services, 

which gave Chloe a range of new experiences 

and had some unexpected benefits for mum: 

“She loves the sensory room!” 


2002 – Parent Enabler Project and the Out and About services introduced to support children and families in the Greater Glasgow area. 

10th charity shop opens in St Andrews. Deafblind Studies diploma course introduced. // 

“She clearly enjoyed it,” added Pete. “…because 

she was still wanting to tell me all about it when 

she got home. She was just gabbling away, 

because she can’t make a lot of proper words; 

but as soon as she came in, I’d say ‘ how was 

it today?’ and she was away. And you can see 

by her eyes…and I’d think ‘oh yeah!’ You were 

loving it!” 

So what kind of difference has having input 

from an organisation like Sense Scotland meant 

to the family? “Support,” Pete said, “There was 

somebody there that you could fall back on and 

say ‘help!’ ” 

For Lorraine it was having someone to talk to. 

“… in the early days when you (PEP) were coming 

out to the house, I could sit and gab away. 

It’s just having someone there!” 

“She thoroughly enjoyed it. I was actually sitting 

in the families’ room, with my feet up on the 

couch, with a book, a cup of coffee and 

a sandwich. I wouldn’t do that at home. 

And Chloe didn’t even look for me, after the first 

couple of weeks. She was quite happy being 

involved with the other children.” 

“Our experience with Sense Scotland 

is that people can see beyond 

that and say ‘what’s possible?’ – not 

what’s impossible,” Pete added. 

“That’s a big difference.” 

My Sense Scotland: 

Pat Brown 

Family Adviser 

How long have you worked with Sense Scotland? 

I started working here about 15 years ago. 

What does your job involve? 

I am the family adviser for the west of Scotland, 

which includes Inverness, and beyond. We are 

the first point of contact; we meet the family 

and begin to find out a bit more about their son 

or daughter. We will liaise with social work if 

a direct service will be needed. 

What’s the most challenging part of your job? 

Dealing with the number of referrals that we 

receive. Since we opened TouchBase in 2007, 

there has been a huge influx of parents, carers 

and professionals that want to come and visit. 

What has been the most rewarding moment 

in your time with Sense Scotland? 

It has been a privilege to have met so many 

families in the last 15 years, those younger 

children who are now in our adult services. 

I have worked with some brilliant colleagues 

and some who helped me with my Diploma 

in Deafblind studies which I gained this year. 

Moving to TouchBase has been brilliant. 


13

2003 - New supported living services in Forfar, Saltcoats, Glasgow, Ellon and Aberdeen. Healthy Living for Deafblind People project starts. 

Supporting people through transitions 

There are many transitions we go through in 

life and Sense Scotland is experienced in 

supporting children and adults of all ages 

through these life changes. 

Our family advisers and support staff offer 

sensitive and practical support for transition into 

our services for the first time. We recognise that 

it is a huge transition to move between services, 

whether it is to day support in the community 

or for the move into a new home. 

Gavin leads the way 

Gavin McCulloch, who has just moved into his 

own home for the first time in Inverness, recently 

became an Assistant Walk Leader. Working 

alongside James Finlayson, our Highlands walk 

leader, the project is funded jointly funded by 

Paths to Health and Scottish Natural Heritage. 

Gavin is completing his John Muir Award where 

he has to discover, explore, conserve and share 

a wild place. As assistant walk leader he takes 

register at the weekly group walk, leading walks 

he is familiar with, putting up the tent at the lunch 

spot, choosing where the next walk will be and 

reminding people about the upcoming walks. 

Gavin said:, “I really enjoy the walk leader job 

because I like being outside and walking.” 

He is also delighted with his move from 

a long-stay hospital into his own home: 

“The biggest difference is more freedom I guess, 

more activities, which is good, being able to go 

out and get the shopping, choose the stuff 

I want to buy. My favourite thing about having my 

own home is being able to live in the community.” 

Gavin is also clear about what he gets from 

support staff: 

“The things I do with them, the help 

they give me, the way they’re willing 

to take me, out is good.” 

New flats for Glasgow 

Building work is almost complete on two sites in 

Glasgow’s Southside. These will provide housing 

support services for 12 adults. Funding for the 

development has come from Glasgow City 

Council and Southside Housing Association. 

John Roxburgh, Sense Scotland’s Regional 

Manager for services in the West, said: 

“The 12 deafblind and disabled people 

who move there during the summer of 

2010 will enjoy a wonderful standard of 

living, as well as greater independence.” 


2004 – Sense Scotland purchase Glasgow building to transform into a new head office and resource base for disabled people and their families. 

Expression Unlimited, an international theatre piece by deafblind people premieres in Scotland. // 

Artist from Helen Keller’s home State wins award 

The winners of the Helen Keller International 

Award main and under-16 prizes were revealed 

at a ceremony in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. 

The £1500 main prize went to Rich Curtis, from 

Alabama, USA (he is from the same Shoals area 

where Dr Helen Keller was born). His work titled 

‘Sight Unseen’, comprises 20 textured paintings 

on paper, and was collaboration with sensory 

impaired people. The £100 cheque for the under 

16 prize went to ‘Medusa’ a large sculptural piece 

made from recycled material and found objects, 

by Shawlands Academy in collaboration with 

Hazelwood School (a school for children and 

young people with sensory impairment). 

Both schools are based in Glasgow. 

Sense Scotland Patron, the Duchess of 

Sutherland, made presentations. Although Rich 

was unable to attend the awards he was keen 

to share the thoughts behind his work: 

“I was happy to participate in the 

first place. But, to win the competition 

among such wonderful fellow artists 

makes me very pleased. I am honored.” 

“Once I researched a little about Sense Scotland, 

and found what an incredible organisation they 

are, I was compelled to enter the competition. 

After some modifications, I developed this 

exercise of collecting sound-response drawings. 

Participation and involvement 

We have just introduced a new booklet on 

participation and involvement aimed specifically 

at the people who use our services. We hope this 

encourages more people to get involved in our 

work and the services we operate. 


15

2005 – New respite services open in Dundee and South Lanarkshire. 

Katie and Holly 

Katie and Holly were three at Christmas but 

when they were born there were severe 

complications. Over those first few months 

parents Clare and Derek were told that Katie 

had quadriplegic cerebral palsy and Bulbar palsy. 

This means she cannot speak or swallow so she 

is tube-fed. If she is sick she doesn’t make any 

noise and she has to be watched 24 hours 

a day. She can easily choke so she has to sleep 

propped up and mum and dad have to take 

turns to watch her throughout the night. 

Clare told us, “Holly loves her sister and is so 

gentle with her. As Katie’s condition is life limiting 

she needs 24 hour care which takes lots of our 

attention. But it is important to us that Holly 

doesn’t feel left out. That is why Holly loves 

the Sense Scotland parties, as Sense Scotland 

staff make her feel special too.” 

“We first heard of Sense Scotland 

through our own internet search. 

Until then we had found it really 

difficult to access any practical help 

with Katie’s care.” 

“Gillian from Sense Scotland (Parent Enabler 

Project) came to see us and started to teach 

Katie (and the rest of the family) Makaton sign 

language. She picked it up so quickly and blows 

kisses to say “Goodbye” when Gillian leaves. 

Katie often has to go to hospital, 10 miles away, 

sometimes up to three times a week. But as 

the twins’ dad is at work and I don’t drive, 

Gillian comes to the rescue. She picks us up 

and looks after Holly while Katie and I are with 

the doctors. We really do appreciate all the help 

and support Sense Scotland provide.” 

Exhibition reflects life in 

Scottish long-stay hospitals 

During the winter a 

Heritage Lottery funded 

exhibition was held in 

the Highlands which 

explored the lives of 

people who stayed in 

long-stay hospitals. 

Through a storytelling 

project, the ‘In Our 

Own Voices: Leaving 

New Craigs’ exhibition 

explored social histories 

of people leaving 

Craig Phadraig, Craig 

Dunain, and New Craigs 

Hospitals in Inverness. 

Incorporating artworks 

and an interactive 

journey through 

aspects of life in 

long-stay hospital, the 

exhibition honoured 

the lives and work of 

staff and residents and 

recreated aspects of 

hospital life, including 

a bedroom. Project 

partners were Highland 

Council, NHS Highland 

and the Centre for 

Health Science. 

“The people I worked 

with as part of this 

project have been on 

an amazing journey, 

which I hope the 

exhibition captured,” 

explained storyteller 

and exhibition curator 

Karrie Marshall. “The 

Craig hospitals played 

a major role in learning 

disability care for over 

140 years, so we have 

seen the ending of an 

important era as people 

move into their own 

homes. The project 

felt like a crucial way 

of supporting people 

to reflect on their lives 

together, as a new 

chapter in their 

lives began.” 

Routines...a former 

resident commented: 

“I had a bath every 

Tuesday. I still do, but 

I have a shower now 

for the other days. 

Tuesday is a good day 

for a bath.” 

Caring relationships... 

a former staff member 

remembered: “There 

was one particular 

boy, who I have fond 

memories of… I used 

to carry him around in 

my arms… keep him 

happy… I’ve seen him 

grow up, a young man.” 


Creating exciting opportunities 

2006 – Overall funding for the new head office/family resource, called TouchBase, exceeds £1.8m. // 

Our arts and wellbeing team have practitioners 

in visual arts, music, drama, outdoor activities 

and crafts. They encourage creative approaches 

to enable everyone, regardless, of their support 

needs, to enjoy art sessions, performances, 

exhibitions and a range of outdoor pursuits. 

Beach Days 

Since the summer of 2009 services in Fife have 

been involved in a variety of Arts and Outdoor 

activities as part of a year-long funded healthy 

living programme based at the Fife Sensory 

Impairment Centre. 

The project is developing activities such as 

music, art, rebound therapy, friendship groups 

and outdoor activities. This is an excellent chance 

for the people who use our services in more 

rural areas, to participate as part of a wider 

social group. 

Our beach day at West Sands in St Andrews saw 

one of the biggest turn outs for an event, with 

around 50 service users from Fife, Dundee, Forfar 

and Aberdeen join arts and wellbeing staff in 

a music group session on the grassy bank by the 

sea. TouchBase Artist in Residence, John Shankie, 

shared kite-making tips and following a BBQ feast 

there were music sessions, music jams led by 

Murray and Ewen Farquharson and a walking 

and art group which beachcombed for items 

to make memory sticks. 

Francis Murray from Dundee, finished the day 

singing and performing with a backing band 

of guitars and percussion. Arts and Wellbeing 

Manager, Kiran Singh, said: “Speaking to service 

users and staff who attended, it was obvious the 

event was very well received. People had choices 

to participate and interact with one another 

through diverse and creative activities.” 

Information and Communication Technology 

Technology can be an excellent way of increasing 

independence, communication and participation. 

At a family event in 2009 we explored: 

• Low tech, single message devices (BigMack, 

Chipper) which, are useful for incorporating 

regular messages such as “Good morning”, 

“Turn the page”. 

• Switch access devices to control toys and other 

equipment that can make life easier e.g. a switch 

adapted camera, switch accessible MP3 player, 

switch accessible videos. 

• Cheap (usually free) accessible books in 

alternative formats such as audio format for MP3 

player, PDF documents that can speak. 

• Cheap video cameras that service users can use 

to record ordinary events in their lives. 


17

2007 – Huge service development in and around Inverness to support 37 people moving from a long stay hospital into their own homes. 

Terry Wogan opens the Children in Need sponsored child and family resource at TouchBase. 

Summer Fridays at TouchBase 

During July and August there was something 

for everyone each Friday at TouchBase over lunch. 

A great success not just for the performers but 

for the many people who got involved and joined 

in with these sessions. 

The events included ‘Summer Grooving’ with 

Ghanaian rhythms and songs classical Indian 

dance performances, workshops on hand 

gestures, mime and use of instruments, creating 

a Tussie Mussie and scented handmade paper. 

The final piece titled ‘Passages’, was a musical 

performance of improvised sound by Amir 

Aznefzadeh, Sarah Dietch and an ensemble 

of performers including Harry Mackie. 

Service users take on canoe challenge 

Service users from across the country took part 

in a canoe day on Loch Tay and for most it was 

the first time they had ever tried canoeing and 

it was a great success. Those who participated 

ended up spending a good hour out on the Loch 

investigating the shoreline and racing each other 

across the bay. The day was also a fundraiser, 

with participants raising £2,000. 

“Thanks to everyone who contributed to this 

fantastic event. It’s always amazing to witness 

the way the people we support embrace 

new opportunities like the ones offered at 

Abriachan,” said Gillian Morbey. 

Service User Conference 5th anniversary 

The Service User Consultation Group’s five year 

anniversary was celebrated at their conference 

in TouchBase last autumn. The conference was 

said to have a great feel about it and featured 

exhibitors including Guide Dogs, Energy Saving 

Trust, and The Holiday File. Presentations were 

given by group members, other service users, 

and external speakers. The highpoint as usual 

was the evening party, with the TouchBase 

AllStars and the usual mix of karaoke and 

traditional music. The weekend ended with 

a stroll in Pollok Park. 

Conference comments: “I’ve never seen service 

users having such a good time”. “I was amazed 

at what service users were doing, most staff 

wouldn’t stand up at a conference and talk like 

that”. “The party was really good, what talent! 

And the accordion music was enjoyed so much.” 

River City’s Libby launches exhibition 

Our ‘Inspired’ exhibition, shown at TouchBase, 

then later at BBC Scotland’s Pacific Quay building, 

featured artwork by children supported by our 

children and families’ services. Using themes 

based on timelines and seasons throughout 

the year, the artists created paintings, drawings 

and sculptures exploring identity, expression, 

movement and our place in the world. River City 

actress Libby McArthur made sure the launch at 

TouchBase was a lot of fun, spending plenty of 

time with families after her launch. 

Isabel McLachlan, Head of Children and Family 

Services said: “Inspired has proven to be an 

inspirational journey for those involved. The young 

people have invested a lot of creativity into their 

work and are very proud to see it displayed. 

We’re also very grateful to Libby McArthur for 

taking the time to launch the exhibition.” 


2008 - HRH The Princess Royal officially opens TouchBase. Sense Scotland hosts the 4th international Listen 2 Me Conference for families of deafblind children. 

New family support service for North Lanarkshire. // 

PARK performance wows audiences 

On Friday the 9 October 2009, a group of young 

disabled performers premiered their theatre piece 

`PARK’. Developed by the cast over the course 

of a year and produced by Sense Scotland in 

association with Dance Ihayami, the show 

focused on a day in the life of a public park. 

The work was directed by Jon Reid and Karen 

Watts, produced by Ailill Finlayson and was only 

possible with the hard work of dedicated support 

staff. Through non- verbal movement, gesture, 

space and proximity, the performers worked 

together to produce a shared story. The audience 

loved it and when the lights dimmed at the end 

of the sold-out performance, the proud actors 

were given an ecstatic response. 

The piece was also previewed as part of the 

Edinburgh Festival. The cast were: 

Eilidh Shortread, Stephanie McCann, 

Ghazalla Akram, Anne Neeson, Robert McGurgan, 

Ian Johnstone, Jamie Ahmed, Amir Asnafzadeh 

and Gavin McCulloch. Ailill Finlayson, from 

Edinburgh, was the producer of PARK. 

These shows are supported by the Scottish Arts 

Council and the Lottery Funded Awards For All. 

Harry’s sessions lead to performance 

Harry Mackie, who is 13, began taster music 

sessions with music tutor David McCluskey at 

TouchBase in June 2009. Harry’s wide taste 

in music and a project based on the theme of 

song writing lead him to explore the 1970s John 

Denver song, ‘Country Roads’. Following regular 

music sessions, he was able to arrange his own 

interpretation the country classic, through shared 

singing and guitar activities. 

Harry said he would like to perform his work before 

a live audience with backing band, ‘The TouchBase 

All-stars’ as part of Summer Fridays. Harry’s mum 

wrote about the project: 

“Harry has had a fantastic experience during his 

sessions at Sense Scotland. Since not being at 

school Harry misses out on music, which he loves. 

He clearly enjoyed working closely with David 

and benefited enormously by having a real sense 

of accomplishment, especially as there was the 

end product with the Passages concert. Harry has 

found an enthusiasm and real sense of purpose 

through his music lessons and has thoroughly 

enjoyed his relationship with David.” 

Rain can’t stop Highland Barbeque 

Despite heavy rain there was a great turnout in 

late July to the gathering organised by Highland 

staff for service users at Abriachan Forest Trust. 

From cycling through the muddy tracks, to 

guided treks led by our assistant walk leader, 

Gavin, there was a great chance for everyone 

to engage with the wonderful setting. 

There was also a great gathering in the Forest 

School building for a drumming session, followed 

by a rousing sing-along. There followed a short 

presentation of artwork by Gavin to Paths For All, 

one of the funders of the walking programme 

in Inverness. The day ended with a muchappreciated 

barbeque provided by support staff. 


19

2009 - Life Histories story telling project to supports people leaving a long-stay hospital in Inverness, culminates in a major exhibition and archive resource. 

Exploring the world together through visual arts 

Visual arts tutors Audrey O’Brien and Mhari Baxter 

have been collaborating on two group projects 

for adults and children. Participants become 

explorers, collecting and making objects as well 

as having a whole range of new experiences. 

Using signifiers to encourage participation, the 

‘Little Light Adventures’ project with children 

collected found objects to make kaleidoscopes, 

mobiles, jars of sweetie wrappers and shiny 

sticks. The children then explored light through 

objects and reflective papers. A tactile stories 

project with Paul, Julia, Laura, Steven and Jamie 

incorporated objects, instruments and storytelling 

along with each participant’s likes and dislikes. 

These elements were used to build a ‘path’ which 

incorporated a range of tactile experiences for 

the artists. 

“I enjoyed sharing the excitement 

of explorative approach and with 

an open-ended session the most 

magical results happen, for example 

David found a red silver box and put 

a small torch inside and light beamed 

out of the box,” said Audrey. 

Looking back at the work of the projects, Mhari 

said: “What struck me as special was sharing the 

practice of other artists, finding ways to interpret 

them through signifiers encouraging the inner 

artist of the young people involved. For example 

in one session it was great that Joanna lifted her 

head and smiled exploring the light when looking 

through her kaleidoscope.” 

Policy Group contributes to Scottish Government consultations 

We responded to a wide range 

of consultations during the 

year, including: 

• Affordable housing investment 

• Paediatric audiology 

• Improving access to taxis 

• The way ahead (British Medical 

Association consultation on 

general practitioner services) 

• Response to the Scottish 

Parliament Local Government 

Committee on tendering 

• End of life treatment 

and care: good practice in 

decision-making, General 

Medical Council 

• Housing Bill 

• Public Services Reform Bill 

• Better diabetes care 

• Accountant of Bankruptcy 

consultation on changes to 

bankruptcy arrangements: 

effect on disabled people and 

families 

• Right to Control 

• Equality Bill: public sector duty 

• Review of television access 

services, Ofcom 

• Mental Health Care and 

Treatment Act review 

(named person) 

• Code of Practice on ASL Act 

• Housing benefit 

• Scottish Autism Bill 

• Protection of Vulnerable 

Groups: Automatic listing, 

specified criteria, relevant 

offences, unlawful requests for 

scheme records, membership 

fees, prescribed services, 

modification of regulated work 

with adults, modification of 

regulated work with children 

• Partnership working 

between allied health 

professions and education 


Thank yous 

2010 – 25th Anniversary of Sense Scotland. _25 Year Timeline // 

Trusts and Foundations 

A M Pilkington’s Charitable Trust 

Aberbrothock Charitable Trust 

Agnes C Montgomerie 

Charitable Trust 

Alexander Moncur’s Trust 

Alexander Torrance 

Cathro Bequest 

Andrew Paton’s Charitable Trust 

Bellahouston Bequest Fund 

Biggart Baillie - The RKT Harris 


Callendar Charitable Trust 

Cares 4 Kids 

Cash for Kids - Clyde Action 

Douglas Hay Trust - 

Barstow & Millar 

Dr Guthrie’s Association 

Harold Adams Charitable Trust 

Heritage Lottery Fund 

IBB Trust 

Jennie S Gordon Memorial 

Foundation 

John & James Napier’s Trust 

Lamb, Middleton & MacGregor 

Bequest Funds 

Lintel Trust 

Low & Bonar Charitable Trust 

Margaret J Stephen’s 


MEB Charitable Trust 

Miss E C Hendry’s 


Mrs Ma Lascelles’ Charitable Trust 

Netherdale Trust 

Northwood Charitable Trust 

Paths to Health 

PF Charitable Trust 

Ponton House Trust 

R J Larg Family Trust 

R S Hayward Trust 

Scottish Natural Heritage 

Sir James Miller EdinburghTrust 

Strathclyde Police 

Benevolent Fund 

Tay Charitable Trust 

The Adamson Trust 

The Andrew & Mary Elisabeth 

Little Charitable Trust 

The Ann Jane Green Trust 

The Annie Jack Memorial Trust 

The Appletree Trust 

The Bethesda Trust 

The Big Lottery Fund 

The Biggart Trust 

The Dinning Charitable Trust 

The Ecton Charitable Trust 

The Gemmell Bequest Fund 

The Hugh Fraser Foundation 

The James & Jessie Shaw 


The James Wood Bequest Fund 

The John M Archer 


The JTH Charitable Trust 

The Leng Charitable Trust 

The Maidenwell Charitable Trust 

The Margaret Elizabeth & 

Alexander Brownlie M.C. 

The Margaret Murdoch 


The Martin Connell CharitableTrust 

The Mary Andrew Charitable Trust 

The Miller Foundation 

The Paul Charitable Trust 

The Peter Brough Bequest Fund 

The R S Macdonald 


The Rozelle Trust 

The Russell Trust 

The Scottish Arts Council 

The St Katharine’s Fund 

The Sylvia Aitken CharitableTrust 

The Trinafour Trust 

The W M Mann Foundation 

The W.M.Sword Charitable Trust 

The Webmart Charitable Trust 

The William S. Phillips’ Fund 

The Woodford 

Foundation Scotland 

W A Cargill Fund 

Widowers’ Children’s Home Trust 

William Grant & Sons Ltd 

Williamina Mclaren Trust 

Organisations and 

Companies 

Abbey Community Partnership 

Borders Friends Group 

Broughty Ferry & District 

Round Table 

BT South of Scotland 

Crookston Bowling Club 

Eastwood Golf Club 

Glasgow City Council - 

Arts Development 

Glasgow Fundraising Group 

Glenerrol Limited 

Hospital Amublance Car 

Service Ltd 

Incas Global Europe Ltd 

La’Cor Hairdressers 

Scot West Credit Union Ltd 

Scottish and Southern Energy 

Talteg Limited 

The Herald Time Group 

The Military & Hospitaller Order 

of St Lazarus of Jerusalem 

Vector Aerospace 

Financial summary: Income and expenditure account for the year ended 31 March 2010. 

Income £ 

Expenditure: 

£ 

Fees and Allowances 18,269,769 

Grants Receivable 486,892 

Donations and Gifts 1,079,662 

Legacies Receivable 162,426 

Committed Giving 767,056 

Income from Shops 875,506 

Income from TouchBase 117,523 

Interest Receivable 4,169 

Total Income (Revenue & Capital) 21,763,004 

Residential and Community Services 17,425,014 

Individual and Family Services 285,243 

Health Education 46,216 

Policy, Development and Resources 879,009 

Fundraising Cost & publicity? 333,127 

Committed Giving Cost 537,969 

Shop Expenditure 833,229 

TouchBase Business Centre 53,123 

Governance Cost 17,640 

Total Expenditure 20,410,571 

Operating surplus (Total Funds) 1,352,433 

Relating to Restricted and 

Designated Funds 

787,146 

Net Income to General Funds 565,287 


21

To find out more about Sense Scotland: 

email: info@sensescotland.org.uk 

or visit: www.sensescotland.org.uk 

Head Office, West Region 

and Children and Family 

Services contact: 

TouchBase 

Sense Scotland 

43 Middlesex Street 

Glasgow 

G41 1EE 

Phone: 0141 429 0294 

Fax: 0141 429 0295 

Text: 0141 418 7170 


North East Region 

The Gatehouse 

Quarry Road 

Northfield Industrial Estate 

Aberdeen 

AB16 5UU 

Phone: 01224 695510 

Fax: 01224 789945 


Highland Region 

Robertson House 

Shore Street 

Inverness 

IV1 1NF 

Phone: 01463 709 555 

Fax: 01463 718 229 


East Region 

11 Edison House 

Fullerton Road 

Queensway Industrial Estate 

Glenrothes 

KY7 5QR 

Phone/text: 01592 752005 

Fax: 01592 751121 

Designed by strutdesign.co.uk 

Photography by Sense Scotland. 

This publication is available in various 

formats on request. 

Sense Scotland is a company limited by 

guarantee, registered in Scotland Number 

147570, and a registered Scottish charity, 

Number SC022097. 

Patron: The Duchess of Sutherland. 

Honorary Patron: Mary, Dowager, 

Countess of Strathmore LLD DL. 

Publication number ISSN 1358-5274

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