Charcot Story
Our charity began in 1985, founded by families living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) who shared a powerful vision, to install a hyperbaric oxygen chamber and create a place of sanctuary where people could access therapies that genuinely made a difference. Gloucestershire MS Information & Therapy Centre was ran and supported by volunteers who understood the realities of living with MS, they built something shaped not by clinical corridors but by warmth, compassion, and a community that truly understood. They believed care should feel supportive and real, and that vision and belief still guides us today.
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Over the decades, through our unique access to hyperbaric oxygen therapy, we’ve supported thousands of people. Those living with neurological or chronic conditions, those recovering from sports injuries or surgery, and those simply seeking therapies that help them stay active, independent, and well.
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​As our community grew, so did the range of conditions and experiences we supported. It became clear that our identity needed to reflect the breadth of people who now call Charcot their home.
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Our new name, Charcot Therapy Centre, honours our history while embracing a more inclusive future. It pays tribute to Professor Jean‑Martin Charcot, the pioneering neurologist who first described multiple sclerosis as “sclérose en plaques.” As our Centre began as an MS‑exclusive service, carrying his name is both a nod to our origins and a recognition of the expertise and lived experience that shaped us. Today, that legacy guides a broader, more welcoming identity, a therapy Centre rooted in expertise, shaped by community, and open to all. This evolution isn’t a departure from our past; it’s a natural continuation of the values that have guided us from the beginning.​​
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We are proud of the legacy we’ve inherited, and we’re excited about the path ahead. As we continue to grow, our commitment remains the same to be a place of warmth, expertise, and community for everyone who needs us.
Whether you’ve been with us for years or are discovering us for the first time, you are part of our story, and we’re glad you’re here.
Our Vision
The Charcot Therapy Centre is a community hub for people living with or supporting someone with a neurological or long-term
condition. We embrace collaborative working with both charities and statutory services.
Our Mission
We strive to be an informative, inclusive, and inviting community
hub, delivering unique and alternative therapies in a safe, non-clinical, homely, and friendly environment. Alongside our dedicated team of therapists, we support and encourage individuals in their wellbeing and symptom management to live a good quality of life.
Meet the Charcot Therapy Team
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We warmly welcome you to the Charcot and are delighted to introduce our Staff and Board Of Trustees.
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Rachael Evans
Jade Barnes
Deputy Manager
Driven
Empathetic
Passionate
Caring
Courageous
Ambitious
Fiona Lord
Compassionate
Grounded
Steadying
Admin Coordinator
Our Board of Trustees
​​If you would like to contact the board of trustees please email secretary@thecharcot.org.uk
Vikki Sewell
Secretary
Tenacious
Considerate
Nerd
Prior to having to medically retire Vikki worked in management running businesses across a variety of sectors such as retail, finance, and hospitality.
Following diagnoses of Fibromyalgia, HEDS and FND Vikki became interested in learning about the experiences behind neurological conditions.
Glenys Peat
Determined
Loyal
Caring
Glenys worked as a social worker qualifying as a mature student primarily, she specialised working with older people with mental health problems, mostly dementia and their carers and wider support network.
Glenys has volunteered her time to Charcot for a number of years, focusing on supporting individuals with their benefit form applications.
Mike McCulloch
Reasonable
Kind
Resilient
Mike had a career in construction management and is now a therapist teaching the Alexander Technique. He also volunteers regularly with the Oxygen operating Team here at the Centre.
A local resident, Mike is very happily married with two children and three grandchildren.
Steve Hutchinson
Positive
Respectful
Helpful
Steven moved to Gloucester in the mid-sixties. Steven worked for UPS up until he was
diagnosed with MS.
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Steven has been a member of the Centre now known as Charcot Therapy Centre for about 12 years because in his words 'it's a wonderful place which now supports many health conditions'.
John Prout
Loyal
Experienced
Numerate
John retired in 2008 after a long career in finance, the latter part of his career spent as a business planner for the public sector.
Having been married to his wife Sue for 46 years and has lived in his village house for 42 of those years.
John first attended Charcot Therapy Centre in 2012 and has been having Oxygen Therapy ever since.
Nick Speed
Listening
Supportive
Patient
Nick retired from a 'life sentence' in commercial insurance broking in 2017, latterly as a local director of a multinational.
He has three very good friends with MS and much enjoys doing whatever he can to help and support the Centre.
Living in the county all his life, he has a long-term partner and "too many children!"
Why Trustees Are Essential to Charcot
The Charcot Therapy Centre’s Trustee Board brings together people with a wide range of skills, expertise, and lived experience.
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They serve as the charity’s governing body, providing oversight, guidance, and accountability.
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While we refer to them as our Trustee Board, they are formally recognised as both Charity Trustees and Directors.
Our Trustees' Key Responsibilities
Keeping Charcot legally compliant and ethically run
Setting our long‑term direction and monitoring progress
Protecting the safety and wellbeing of staff, volunteers, and members
Overseeing our financial health and use of funds
Identifying and managing risks from safeguarding to finance to reputation