The MND Association AGM was extra special for me this year as it makes a full year since I was nominated to be a trustee for the Association.  I have now done a full round of Board Meetings, Committee meetings and project task group meetings.  

Why go to the AGM? 

The AGM is a place to meet up with old and new friends, other volunteers and staff from our MND community, together with exhibitors and speakers.

I find that there is always something new to learn, whether it is from another Branch or Group, or finding out about the research being done, or the equipment on offer. One big hit was the virtual reality headsets which Mark, my husband tried out. One was a general virtual reality demonstrating all of its features including being in a helicopter, in a hot air balloon and giving lots of different views and landscapes. He particularly enjoyed the car racing around the Le Mans circuit. 

I attended a workshop around Legacy Fundraising which was one aspect of the Association’s work that I knew little about. 

Even if you can’t attend to you can follow the event Live on Facebook and it is always nice hearing the messages read out from those back at home, watching the event unfold. Here’s the link to this year’s AGM and research speech. https://www.mndassociation.org/videos/

The afternoon speaker was Professor Martin Turner who was there to speak about his bio -marker research at Oxford. Something close to my heart. I have been part of that research, sitting in multiple scanners for many hours as a healthy control for Professor Turner’s research. I was very interested to hear how that particular research was going.  

I always come away thinking how much the Association has done in the previous year, as highlighted by the Impact Report and I am always grateful to our many supporters, fundraisers, volunteers, campaigners and staff who all help get us there. The Impact Report is here https://www.mndassociation.org/about-us/a-strategic-framework-for-the-future/impact-report/

 Next year maybe I’ll see you there.

Katy Styles, Trustee MNDA and MNDA East Kent