What made you volunteer to be part of the Buddy Programme?

Ever since joining the MS Society research has always interested me. It is a positive in what can be a very negative situation – I believe it's the way forward for everyone with MS.  

Did you feel prepared for your visit when it arrived?

No, I have to confess that I didn’t, even though I found the training day helpul and it was a chance to meet other members of the team. There appeared to be so many things I didn't feel confident about. Additionally, I wasn’t sure how the research team would respond to the Buddy team. 

Was the site visit what you expected?

Not at all! I think I was fearing the worst and that the researchers would see us as intruding. But instead it was very friendly, accommodating of our needs and most of all extremely exciting. I believe we all felt “at home” within a very short while. 

How did your team work together through the process?

We all listened very intently whilst eating an excellent lunch (provided for people with very differing dietary needs!). There was much more happening with the research than we had realised. All of us visited the hospital where the “people” part of the research was undertaken and afterwards we all had many questions to ask. 

What was the best or most rewarding part of the process?

To learn from the researchers that there are very positive results coming from this research. 

How did you go about putting together the report of the visit?

As Team Leader I took the notes during the visit and did the initial draft of the report. All of the team then added/corrected as necessary, until we were all happy with the report, as being a true reflection of our visit. 

Would you recommend the Buddy Programme to another Network member?

Definitely, it is very rewarding to understand where part of the huge amount of money spent by the MS Society on research is going.

One tends to put researchers on a pedestal, but our experiences show what normal human beings they are with an enormous amount of dedication to their work. I believe we all felt “involved” and I am pleased I became associated with the programme. I believe the whole team are looking forward to learning more about the project's progress during the site visit next year.