Profiles of Committee Members
JOHN MCMURRAY - Chair
My name is John
McMurray and I
became Chair of the
Ross-shire Branch in
May, 2011. My
connection with MS
is that my wife
Linda’s mother died
of MS-related
conditions, and
Linda herself was
diagnosed with MS in
2007. Moving to
Dornoch in 2009, we
made connection
withe the Ross-shire
Branch, received a
warm welcome and
decided we wanted to
get more involved.
The experience I
hope to bring to the
Branch as Chair is
that I have worked
for over 30 years
running YMCAs as a
general Secretary. I
was founder member
of the Renfrewshire
Council of Voluntary
Services for seven
years; and I am now
working as a
Community Outreach
Worker in a new,
small voluntary
organisation with 90
volunteers covering
the community around
the Dornoch Firth.
As Chair of the
Ross-shire Branch, I
would like to
continue to develop
the real friendship
and support that
already exists
between the members;
to identify and
pursue strategies
that will increase
the comfort and
reduce the hardship
of those with MS in
the local area; to
maintain a positive
profile for MS
locally; and to
achieve a
better-than-break
financial
performance each
year.
Throughout my time
in Scotland over the
past 23 years I have
maintained both my
Belfast accent and
my sense of humour –
I hope the members
think this is a good
thing!
I
have been connected with
the Ross-shire Branch
for about 20 years,
initially as a committee
member, then 10 years as
the Chair Person and
since then as Secretary.
I don’t have MS, but am
dedicated in supporting
those who do and also a
great admiration for the
way they cope with life
with MS. I regard the
members of the Branch as
an extended family
Originally hailing from
Warwickshire, I have
lived in Scotland for 50
years and came to
Ross-shire in 1967.
Before I retired I was
an architect and graphic
designer – this comes in
handy when doing the
Branch Newsletter. I was
widowed when I was 60,
have a son in New
Zealand and two
daughters in Inverness,
and six grandchildren.
Apart them all of them,
my pride and joy is my
4-year old Beardie
Collie, Ellie.
HELEN RAIT
My name is Helen. I am a 36-year old, happily married mum of 2. I have had MS for over 7 years, although only diagnosed just over 2 years ago. I have remitting-relapsing MS. I inject every second day with betaferon which seems to be keeping me upright. I have been on the committee of the Ross-shire Branch for 18 months. I am a fiend for fund-raising!
I
have been Treasurer of
the Ross-shire Branch
for over fifteen years –
more than I care to
count. I lived in North
Berwick until 1962, then
Elie until I left
school, followed by
short spells in
Kirkintilloch and
Peebles before settling
in Edinburgh in 1975. I
am married to Jennifer
and have two grown up
children, Deborah and
Robert.
I joined
the Royal Bank of Scotland
in Edinburgh in 1970 where I
worked in various Branches
and head Office Departments
before being transferred to
Perth in 1980, followed by
Inverness in 1985 and
finally to Dingwall from
where I took the opportunity
during the “culling of the
Bank Manager era” to accept
the Voluntary Early Retiral
Package on offer in 1999.
I have
always been keen on sports
both as a participant and as
a spectator, with golf being
a lifetime passion from the
age of seven. The remainder,
thanks to the passing of
time, are now mainly enjoyed
from the comfort of my
armchair with the exception
of Curling at which my
enthusiasm outweighs my
ability!
