"Why I’m match funding donations to stop MS"

Mon 07 April 2025

This spring, three of our incredible supporters are matching every donation you make to the Stop MS Appeal. Ann Cairns tells us about the personal reasons behind her generous pledge.

You’re part of our dedicated Stop MS Appeal Board. What inspired you to join?

I’ve always found causes which have a personal meaning are the most inspiring. I have friends and family who have MS, including my sister who lives with progressive MS. So I can see that helping to stop this awful condition in its tracks is a wonderful thing to do.

Could you tell us more about being part of the Appeal Board. What are you most proud of?

The Stop MS Appeal Board has some great members, including people with MS. I have been very impressed by Sara Weller who has progressive MS. She’s the only board member on the FTSE (The Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 Index) who has publicly shared that she’s disabled. She is full of wisdom and has incredible drive. She’s a great ambassador for the appeal.

I’m proud that the Appeal has raised so much for such a good cause – over £91 million so far. I particularly like the science aspect of the board. We hear from experts on the progress in our MS Society-funded clinical trials to test existing drugs to see if they could treat MS.

MS is about three times more prevalent in women than men and I like to hear about it in the context of women’s health. The MS Society is funding research into pregnancy and MS, for example.

Could you tell us how MS has affected your family?

My sister was diagnosed with MS over 30 years ago, she’s in her sixties now. She was a very successful technologist and entrepreneur but her condition meant she had to give up work.

Over the years MS has affected her in many ways and now she uses a wheelchair most of the time. She is registered blind.

She’s bright, tech savvy, makes friends easily and is highly engaged with current affairs. She never complains. She also travels with her partner on cruises which suit her mobility needs. She’s the mum of two boys in their 20’s. While pregnant she felt quite well - women with MS often report fewer symptoms during pregnancy.

Our whole family has been affected by my sister’s condition and also my dad’s. He died in his sixties of Motor Neurone Disease (MND). It’s heartbreaking to see someone you love go through this. Our family would be thrilled to see more treatments which could slow or stop the progression of MS.

Why did you decide to generously match the donations of other supporters to our Stop MS Appeal this spring?

I love the idea of matching gifts. During my time in the corporate world most of the companies I worked for did this. I know they are a very effective way of engaging people and helping some great causes. Everyone likes to feel that their money is going to be impactful. For me, there’s no better way of creating impact than doubling people’s contributions.

What would you say to someone who has donated this spring to the Stop MS Appeal?

It's money well spent: MS research has a focus which means you can clearly see how the money is being spent. I think the 100 million we raise together will go a long way to helping understand and stop MS.