I get much more from this activity than I can give and enjoy what we do.
David Cairns
I joined the Association in April 2008. I came into contact with the Association through another charity called REACH, which puts retired business people in touch with charities that might benefit from their experience and skills.
I had an initial meeting with the committee to ascertain what exactly they were looking for. This also gave the members an opportunity to decide if I was what they were looking for (the chair had been vacant for two years.)
As the chairman, I believe my role is to help the committee in all that they do. Apart from actually chairing meetings, I try to attend as many activities such as friends and family events etc, as often as I can. I am also trying to introduce some simple planning principles which will help us be better focussed and organised around what we wish to do. We have an excellent association visitor team who do a tremendous amount to support people living with MND and their families. However, we are a small group and I am trying to get more volunteers involved so that we can expand our fundraising and awareness activities.
After one year working with the committee, I am now learning more about the disease and its impact. It is horrific and I am privileged to work with such a dedicated group of people, who give so much of their own time and effort to supporting those affected. I get much more from this activity than I can give and enjoy what we do.
Every day being involved seems to produce something new and the social interaction brings its own memories.
I would recommend it to others for the simple reason that what we do has a tangible impact and helps many people. This disease is something that very few people have heard about, but when one understands its impact, the horror of it becomes all too apparent. Every little thing that we can do to help those people who want assistance is worth more than money.
