download Annual Review 2009-2010 here - Sense Scotland

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