The winner of the 1999 International Person with MS of the Year was Mrs. Maureen Dickson from the UK

Mrs. Maureen Dickson

Maureen Dickson has been involved with the MS Society at all levels since diagnosis in 1976 and has given her heart and soul, as well as meticulous attention to detail, to everything she has tackled.

Maureen is a member of the Morpeth and Wansbeck Branch - one of 372 in the UK - and has actively supported the branch in a variety of ways including servicing as Chairman for 10 years. She was also Vice-Chairman of the association of branches in the northern part of England and was the inspiration and drive behind many outstanding workshops.

In the 1980s Maureen served on advisory groups for welfare and for an initiative to bring younger people and the newly diagnosed into the Society. She organised and ran a variety of workshops to great effect in this capacity.

She has been a member of the working groups for Regional Development, Regional Conference Planning and Chairman of the National Conference Programme Planning Group. She also served as the UK Representative on the International Persons with MS Committee between 1990 and 1997.

She is a long-standing Board member and acted as Assistant Treasurer for 2 years before being elected in 1997 to serve as UK National Treasurer. Maureen has the skills and business background needed to enable the Society in the UK to meet its financial obligations and is able to develop proper financial strategies. She has a professional background as a Customs and Excise Officer, Finance and Administration Director of an optical group and has run her own business. She is well versed in Charity Law and accounting requirements and has lectured in the Business Schools of the Universities of Northumbria and Durham and gained recognition in the Charity Sector following a joint presentation at the Charity Finance Directors Group AGM.

She commands the respect and confidence of all who work with her. She has an exceptional eye for detail and tenacity of purpose - an example of this was displayed recently when against all the expectations of the Auditors, she persisted in pursuing an application for repayment of Valued Added Tax from which the UK Society is some £1.9 million richer.

Maureen has been interested in the work of the Scout movement for a long time. She first started in the Scout Association as a lead in the Cub Scout section in the mid 1960s working with packs of young boys in Whitley Bay, Berwick-upon-Tweed and Newcastle over a period of 10 years.

In the late 1970s Maureen returned to Morpeth where she took on the challenge of Front of House duties for the local bi-annual Gang Show for Scouts and Guides including organising refreshments for the cast and leaders at weekly rehearsals.

Maureen also held the position of District Secretary for a number of years. Though no longer active with the Scout Association, her interest in the work continues through her family.

Maureen's symptoms are dominated by pain from which she suffers extensively. Amongst typical MS symptoms, she has visual problems, fatigue and reduced mobility. Since undergoing a serious relapse in 1998, Maureen has had limited feeling and movement on one side of her body.