November 7, 2025
As Trustees’ Week comes to a close, we’re shining a light on one of our trustees who brings both professional expertise and lived experience of MS to the Revive MS Support board. Here, one of our most recent trustee’s Chris Hughes shares her journey and what being a trustee means to her.
When I moved to Scotland 26 years ago I went looking for a hyperbaric chamber and found Revive.
I didn’t need much support at that time so just put the info in my memory and went on my way. Several years later I was ‘undiagnosed’ so didn’t feel I could ask for help, but knowing how we work now I wish I had! My ‘rediagnosis’ came 8 years later and I sought the team out!
My original career was in engineering, but I quickly became more interested in communication, teamwork etc whilst still focussing on solution based work.
After my original MS diagnosis I decided to leave the incredibly stressful job and think about which parts of it I could utilise.
On moving to Scotland I learned about how many charities needed to find some income other than grants and was able to start a career in that. I became a board member for a couple of small charities during that time, but also worked with a large number and could see the issues with grant funding, personnel and volunteer management, premises etc. Having stopped work some years ago I feel I need a purpose, but also to utilise all the info I’d gathered. One way to do this is to volunteer!
As I’ve had MS for nearly 30 years and I’ve had amazing support from Revive, it seemed like the best place to find a role.
The way that Revive works in supporting not just the person with MS but others impacted too is particularly close to my values.
Also the holistic way of supporting people is important.
As I’ve only attended a couple of meetings so far I am mostly learning (or relearning!) things.
It is good to be using some of the things I learned in the past and to be able to contribute to discussions around the future of Revive MS Support.
Many charities provide support and services which councils etc are unable to at the level needed.
The personal touch is so important when you are dealing with long term health issues. Also to have input from those people is much easier when they don’t feel that an institution is judging them. Changes can be made much quicker at this level too, allowing charities to respond to changes in need.
Becoming a volunteer in any form is fulfilling, but being a trustee allows you to be involved in planning for the future, so that is especially good. People should also be aware that sometimes hard decisions have to be made, but many of these can be avoided with the best strategic planning etc. Therefore, rather than being unhappy with decisions, get involved in making them!
We’d like to say a huge thank you to Chris for sharing her story and for the passion she brings to the Revive MS Support board. As Trustees’ Week comes to an end, we also want to extend a huge thank you to all of our trustees for the time and commitment they give to helping shape the future of Revive MS Support.
