Pauline Waugh
Our beloved Pauline very sadly lost her battle against cancer on 15th March 2025 and we wanted to try to capture her role in the setting up and running of The Cheyne Gang and why she was such an amazing person.
Pauline was an inspirational person who had a passion to improve the health of those with long-term breathing conditions. She was a practice nurse with over 20 years experience working in primary care and in 2013, along with two practice nurse colleagues, decided to undertake research into the impact on the quality of life of participants with long-term breathing conditions of singing in a community group. From the research and also from an increasing body of research undertaken worldwide Pauline and her colleagues concluded that the health and well being of people suffering from COPD and other long term breathing conditions could be enhanced if they participated in a community singing group which was led by professional singing coaches. With these research findings in 2013 they started a singing group in Cheyne Street in Edinburgh (hence the name of the charity) and this group remains active to this day.
Pauline was not only the driving force behind the setting up of the first Cheyne Gang singing group but also the setting up of six additional singing groups in Edinburgh, Tweed Valley and Glasgow over subsequent years. Despite working full time in her role as a practice nurse she found the time and energy to raise over £250,000 in grant funding and donations which enabled singing groups to be set up and flourish. Additionally, Pauline was very active in the appointment and management of the voice coaches and administrators who are key to the successful running of the singing groups.
Pauline attended as many singing group meetings as she could and took great pleasure inseeing everyone enjoying and benefiting from singing in the group. She was rightly very proud of the positive impact the Cheyne Gang had on people with long term breathing conditions and everyone who met Pauline recognised what a very caring and special person she was. She was a genuine one of a kind.
Pauline's vision was to set up Cheyne Gang singing groups throughout Scotland in areas with high prevalence of people with long-term breathing conditions. Everyone connected with The Cheyne Gang is committed to delivering Pauline's vision for the charity. In The Cheyne Gang and the increasing number of people benefitting from participating in its singing groups throughout Scotland, Pauline has left a truly wonderful legacy.
Pauline is greatly missed by everyone who knew her.