A family from Rutherglen met with Royalty at an inclusive Christmas party for children with cerebral palsy.
Mum-of-four, Lisa-Marie Keogh from Cathkin attended the party with her two-year-old son Matthew, and his three siblings, Charlotte-Jenny, 9, Alexander, 7, and one-year-old Thomas.
The accessible party was hosted by disability charity Cerebral Palsy Scotland at their base in Glasgow, which was attended by their long-standing patron Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester.
Birgitte, the Duchess of Gloucester, who is married to Prince Richard – the cousin of Queen Elizabeth II – met with the children and their families, as well as charity staff.
The Duchess also spent time talking with Santa Claus, who also paid a visit to the party. Like Matthew and other children attending, Santa also has cerebral palsy.
Lisa-Marie said: “Matthew has been coming to Cerebral Palsy Scotland for specialist therapy since he was nine months old. The therapists here are fantastic and I could cry with joy thinking about the difference coming here has made to Matthew.
“We love coming to the Christmas party. It’s great to be able to meet a Santa who just happens to have cerebral palsy; Matthew’s face lit up when he met him.
“Lots of parties aren’t accessible, so the kids love being able to have fun together and help Matthew get involved in the games and crafts. The ornaments the kids made at last year’s party are all hanging on our tree, in pride of place.”
Stephanie Fraser, CEO of Cerebral Palsy Scotland, said: “It was a real pleasure to welcome our Patron, Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester, to our annual children’s Christmas party. Her Royal Highness takes a keen interest in the families and children and is extremely knowledgeable about cerebral palsy and the work of Cerebral Palsy Scotland.
“As a charity, our focus is on providing specialist therapy, support and information for people with cerebral palsy.
“Hosting the children’s Christmas party and other social events for people of all ages with cerebral palsy is one of the ways we offer support.
“We know that it can be challenging for families to find genuinely inclusive activities that they can enjoy together, something many of us take for granted. Along with Her Royal Highness, we want to raise awareness that, with a little thought and planning, more venues and events can be as inclusive and accessible as this one.”
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