The MS Society Cymru Council represents people affected by MS in Wales, and works on their behalf.
The council is responsible for MS Cymru's strategy, and is accountable to the Society's UK board of trustees .
The Council works alongside the staff team in Wales, as well as local MS Society branches, to beat MS.
"I have lived with MS for 23 years now, so have an insight into the problems that people affected by MS experience. It's given me the confidence to speak on their behalf.
I joined the MS Society in 1987 when I was first diagnosed and used them regularly as a source of information. I also used the Helpline when planning a holiday, and found the support invaluable in giving me the confidence to go ahead with my trip.
I was able to continue working for a long time, but that meant I had little or no time to volunteer for the MS Society. That changed in 2006 when I became a Council Member for MS Cymru, and then Chairman in 2007. I chose to volunteer for the MS Society because I had reached a point in my life when the desire to give something back was high.
As Chairman, I work with the Director of Wales to ensure MS Cymru achieves it objectives, whilst also fulfilling its responsibilities for good governance.
I also run a Support group in Chepstow and have seen the difference our work makes to people affected by MS, which is why I love volunteering for the MS Society.
I also feel supported by the people that I come into contact with, which helps me manage my own MS on a day-to-day basis."
"I enjoy volunteering for the MS Society for two key reasons: I love working with people, listening to their individual stories and engaging with their experiences; and secondly, I want to make a difference to all those affected by MS.
I work for a political party in the National Assembly for Wales. I became involved in MS Cymru because my father has MS. It has been a privilege to serve the MS Society as a council member in Wales and as a UK Trustee.
Working within the Welsh political sphere, I have developed skills which have ensured that the thoughts and views of Wales have been expressed clearly at a UK level. Moreover, within the political arena, I have built strong relationships with individuals and organisations across the country. These contacts have proved invaluable to the Society for lobbying and campaigning senior political and organisational figures."
“When I was diagnosed in 1991 I was working for the NHS, and joined the Society a couple of years later. I was welfare officer at my local branch for twelve years.
My role as a council member enables me to vote on decisions which help to fulfil the Society’s mission. I also see my role as a communicator, helping other people affected by MS.”
“In 1999 I was diagnosed with MS and at that time new very little about the condition. I found the information the MS Society provided invaluable and encouraging. I knew that I could give my time to help others achieve their full potential, so I decided that I would apply to be a Council member for MS Cymru.
As a Council member I feel that I have an opportunity to be an ambassador for the MS Society, help the Society achieve its aims, and raise awareness of MS. Volunteering gives you the opportunity to change lives.”
“Being involved with the society can involve a great deal of hard work but the personal rewards are immense.
I was lucky to become involved at national level at the MS Society and also later to take a large share in running a branch. I have seen the enormous contribution the society makes to the quality of life of so many people with MS through education, support and financial assistance.
There is such a feeling of satisfaction when something you work towards comes to fruition – whether that involves finding money to help someone in need, organising an event or contributing to some other aspect of the Society’s work.”
“I love being a volunteer for the MS Society because of all the wonderful people I have met and worked with.
My first contact with the MS Society was when my brother was diagnosed in 1996. At this time I had no knowledge of MS and the MS Society website was my first port of call. Through the Society's regular publications I was made aware of the excellent work they do. When volunteer council members were advertised I decided to give back a little.
The MS Society has excellent leaders at both national and nation level. It is professional, forward thinking and genuinely working in the best interests of its members. It is great at communicating with its members and encourages and welcomes their interaction and feedback.”
"I was diagnosed with MS in 1997 and at that time I had no knowledge or experience of MS. The consultant neurologist wished me good luck and advised me to come back when my symptoms worsened. I then joined the MS Society and discovered the enormous range of work being done by the society to help people living with the condition.
Since becoming a Council Member for the MS Society Cymru I have gained a much deeper understanding of how MS affects people and their families. I have met some truly inspirational people who are coping with a very severe condition with great fortitude as well as making a positive contribution to the work of the MS Society.
As I am now retired I have more time to contribute to the work of the MS Society at a time when the politics of devolution and the implications of diverging policies in health and social care in the UK will present new challenges to the MS Society."
“I’ve been an Occupational Therapy Clinical Specialist for MS since 2006 in North Wales, and worked as an OT for over 20 years. I find my job extremely rewarding as well as challenging, and love working with such a diverse group of people, and with other professionals, to try and meet the needs of people with MS and their carers.
I’ve built up a close working relationship with the MS Society Cymru – they have been very supportive and encouraging of ideas I have had for developing services for people with MS in North Wales, for example, ladies groups in rural areas, and of running an FES course for therapists in North Wales.
I feel that my clinical background has given me a lot of knowledge and skills that I can bring to the MS Council. Having worked in both health and social care settings I have a good understanding of what statutory services are available and the gaps in services for people with MS. It’s great to be able to give something back by being a council member."
"I’m semi-retired and work as a RYA Senior Sailing Instructor. I also care for my wife Su, who has MS. We’re both actively involved in the Montgomeryshire MS branch, and serve on various health and social committees throughout Powys.
I’ve been a self employed businessman for most of my life, and also run a smallholding near Welshpool. In 2007 Su and I started a disabled sailing group, based at Clywedog. I’m an active member and former chairperson of Round Table, Rotary and Sailing Clubs.
I joined the MS Cymru Council in September 2008, and am particularly keen to further the awareness of MS and highlight the needs of carers and families within Wales."
"My wife was diagnosed with MS around ten years ago. We live with our son in a village near the town of Neath in South Wales. When I saw an advert for membership of the MS Cymru Council I decided that I would like to have more formal involvement with the Society.
Being a member of the Society and particularly being a part of the MS Cymru Council is an important part of my life. For me the first and foremost responsibility of being a part of the Council is to remember that all the work that we do is for the benefit of the Society's members and for the wellbeing of those living with and affected by MS.
I enjoy learning more about initiatives in research and care that the Society is undertaking, and the camaraderie with my fellow Council members and others affected by MS - all from different walks of life, but all united in some way or another by MS.
I am a qualified solicitor working for a not-for- profit organisation in South Wales providing housing and care. I chose to volunteer because I have two close friends living with MS, one of whom qualified as a solicitor at the same time as me.
I have been humbled by her strength of character and sense of humour in dealing with how her life has been so changed as her MS has progressed. Neither of them ever complains!
As a Council Member for Wales I look for opportunities to raise awareness of the needs of people with MS and their families through engaging with people who may support the Society financially, or through their ability to shape and change services and funding. I am glad to have the opportunity to use my skills and experience to promote the MS Agenda and help make a difference.
I love volunteering as I have made a lot of interesting and fun friends, be they fellow Council members, officers working for the MS Society, Branch members or people living with MS and their families. I feel inspired and privileged to be part of a group of people united by a common and strong bond.
I attend Council meetings and Area Network meetings and am a member of other strategy and steering groups. One Tuesday every month I enjoy going to “Twocann Tuesday”, a social evening for PWMS and their friends, held in a café/ bar in Swansea. If you are ever in the area you must call in, you will get a warm welcome - croeso cynnes iawn."
"My name is Richard Lewis and I am a serving police officer with Dyfed Powys Police. I chose to volunteer as my mother lives with MS and I wanted to do something to help her and people who find themselves in a similar position.
Volunteering for the MS Society provides me with an opportunity to give something back to my local community and meet new people that work in an entirely new field to me. I hope that the work that I do helps to get the voice of people living with MS heard by people in a position to commission services and develop further research into MS."
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I, too, feel supported by the people that I come into contact with, which helps me manage my own MS on a day-to-day basis. Ann Hodgson, chair of MS Cymru council
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