A GLASGOW man has glided across the River Clyde in memory of his brother.

Paul McGill was joined by brother-in-law Kenny and niece Nicola Fitzpatrick to raise more than £4,000 for Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Scotland (SBH Scotland).

Funds raised from the Glide the Clyde event will be used to provide personalised home and hospital support to families affected by spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus.

Paul, 48, was inspired to take on the challenge to honour the memory of his brother Michael, who had spina bifida. He passed away in April aged 49. Michael was an avid Evening Times reader, and bought the paper religiously.

He said: “Michael was such a kind, generous and spirited person and following his passing we wanted to do something to honour his life.

“He was very independent, and despite his condition he was very mobile, especially in his younger years. With a big support network around him, he didn’t use services from SBH Scotland, but we were always amazed by the work the charity carried out for those affected by the conditions.

“One of his great loves was the Evening Times. Any time you saw him he would be sitting reading it, back to front as always, starting with the football stories. I can imagine him now with a smile on his face knowing he was being talked about in his favourite paper.”

The family has generated an extraordinary £4,000 for SBH Scotland from the Glide the Clyde challenge alone, and is on course to raise more with a dedicated event planned for February. Set up to mark Michael’s 50th birthday, more than 350 people are expected at the charity-fundraising event being held in Glen Cairn Social Club.

Kevin McGill, Michael’s other brother, and his best friend John Kavanagh are also running the Glasgow 10K later this month, while Paul, Kenny and Nicola will brave a sky-dive next year, with both parties aiming to raise additional funds for SBH Scotland in the process.

Deborah Roe, fundraising director at SBH Scotland, said: “Glide the Clyde is always one of our most popular challenges, attracting all types of fundraisers from young people to grandmothers, those living with conditions of spina bifida and/ or hydrocephalus and even people terrified of heights.

“It’s no easy feat either. The platform is more than 150ft high and participants reach some dizzying speeds. Yet, we still see so many turn up to support the charity.

“As an organisation that relies solely on donations, we are extremely grateful to all those who take on challenges in our name. Without individuals like Paul we would not be able to provide required support to the thousands of families across Scotland who need us.”

To support Paul’s Glide the Clyde challenge, please visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/paul-mcgill4

For other fundraising events being delivered by SBH Scotland, including the first ever Strictly Come Prancing, please visit: https://www.sbhscotland.org.uk/support-events/