Reverse Rett Board of Trustees: Our steady foundation for changing times
On April 1st, the Reverse Rett Board of Trustees met for our annual in person board meeting. The Reverse Rett Board generally meets every two months on line, but we all look forward, so much, to getting together in person, catching up with each other’s lives and most importantly, having an intense check in on charity business; assessing and reassessing the priorities of the organisation, our operations, direction and reaffirming the charity’s values and mission.
We are very lucky at Reverse Rett to have a Chairman, John H. Sharpe, who is closely involved in the work of the charity on a day-to-day basis. Since becoming Chair of Reverse Rett, John has been the steady hand behind the ongoing work and growth of the organisation, providing one to one mentoring to the charity’s leadership with grace, balance and a rational, yet compassionate approach to all the charity’s activities and to our small staff team.
For ten years now, at every annual board meeting (minus during Covid), the Trustees of Reverse Rett have been welcomed into John and Maureen’s home, where they look after us, providing food, warmth and encouragement to us all for the contribution that our Board members make, individually and collectively to the work of Reverse Rett.
This stability and continuity that John and wife, Maureen bring to the charity has been an exceptional and largely unrecognised gift to the charity for many years now. Many charities will have several different Chairs and CEOs rotating over a decade. For Reverse Rett, as a young organisation, evolving in a time of great change for our community, it has been an incredible advantage to have long term stability in both the Chair of Trustees and CEO, Rachael Stevenson, who has been head of the charity since it was founded in 2010.
But anyone who follows the work of Reverse Rett will know that our continued efforts are only possible because of the tremendous community who support the charity.
Our Trustees lead from the front, eleven have a loved one with Rett or MECP2 Duplication syndrome, two have worked with individuals with Rett. Many are prolific fundraisers, having endured multiple 50 and 100K treks and runs. They’ve climbed mountains and helped organize Galas. They meet late into the night, on demand, to scrutinize our work, guide decisions and resolve issues facing the charity. They use their multiple and varied skills, expertise and experience to provide support and insight into the operations and strategic direction of the charity, moving us closer, every day to our ultimate goal.
At Reverse Rett, our vision is of a world where children with Rett Syndrome are diagnosed quicker, earlier, and more effectively than they are right now.
A world where much more is known about the condition and factors that affect progression.
A world where at every stage of development, treatments are available to counteract its symptoms.
A world where we ultimately deliver a cure and enable people with Rett Syndrome to lead free and healthy lives.
Thank you to our Trustees and all our community of supporters, for helping to make this vision a reality, one day at a time.
Reverse Rett trustees L to R – Oliver Freeman, Andy Stevenson, Helen Simmonds, Catherine McKinney, Kate McMaster, Joanna Snyder, John Sharpe, Jocelyn Le Blanc, Matt Billingsley, Rachael Stevenson, Mike Jones.