In July, we announced that our new supplier of contactless devices is Give A Little.

Thanks to those who joined us for an information session in September. The Head of Marketing and Communications at Give A Little talked through the devices available and how it all works. And Annabel, our Policy and Performance Manager, explained the next steps for rolling out cashless giving with Give A Little.

As one of our incredible volunteers, you already do so much to support the MS community. Thank you.

You can also make a difference while having the chance to win an amazing £10,000. What would you spend it on?

By taking part in our raffle, you’ll help to fund groundbreaking research and vital support for the 150,000 people living with MS in the UK. Every £1 ticket you buy helps us get closer to stopping MS whilst also supporting families, carers, researchers, campaigners and, of course, fellow volunteers.

As announced in the last Volunteer Newsletter, we’ll be launching our brand-new volunteer management system, Assemble, from January 2026 onwards.

As mentioned in last month’s newsletter, we’re getting ready to switch on our new data platform, Sage.

To migrate to the new platform, we’ll need to freeze our organisation’s current database from Wednesday 8 October. The data freeze is anticipated to last around three weeks.

Last week, we emailed Group Coordinators, Communications Volunteers, Admin Volunteers and Activities Organisers to let them know what to expect.

Right now, people with MS in Northern Ireland are being failed. Join us in our fight for neurology services!

FightForNeuro campaign

FightForNeuro is a campaign organised by the Northern Ireland Neurological Conditions Alliance (niNCA). niNCA is a membership of charities, including MS Society Northern Ireland, that works to raise awareness, influence health delivery and improve care for people living with a neurological condition.

Last month, MS Society staff, including CEO Nick Moberly, and members of the MS community celebrated the official opening of the Sense Belfast Hub.

The Health Minister, standing in for Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, who unfortunately was unable to attend, welcomed guests and commended the MS Society and Sense for their work delivering vital services in communities in Northern Ireland.

Read more about the centre here.

We’re currently looking for Elected Trustees to join the MS Society Board.

These are exciting times at the MS Society. Our vision is ambitious: a world free from MS. That means fewer people developing MS, and everyone with MS having the effective treatments and support they need to live well.

October is Black History Month. The theme for 2025 is, ‘Standing Firm in Power and Pride’. It spotlights Black people who’ve brought about vital change and honours and celebrates Black history. Read more here.

Local charitable trusts can be a brilliant source of funding to help you run activities that make a real difference in your community. But before you apply, it’s really important to speak with the Fundraising Team.

Because your group shares a charity number with the MS Society, we need to make sure our central fundraising team isn’t already applying to the same trust. Otherwise, we risk sending two applications, which could minimise the opportunity for a successful application and prevent future applications.

Thanks to the positive response to our latest face to face fundraising campaign, 4,073 new donors, with an average annual gift of £119, have joined us in the movement to stop MS. That’s an incredible result.

Increasing the number of regular giving supporters helps us to plan long term and allows us to build long-lasting relationships with these new supporters. You can read about the campaign here: mssociety.org.uk/get-involved/fundraise/fundraising-blog/face-face-fundraising.