We wanted to let you know about our exciting plans to open two charity shops in the Greater Manchester area.  

Our plans, and why now?

We know that, to continue supporting the MS community, we need to find new ways to increase our income. We want to develop our organisation-wide services so we can support and reach more people affected by MS.  

We’ve carefully researched the market and found that more people are now visiting charity shops. The demand for good quality, pre-loved items is on the rise.  

The MS Society was founded in 1953 by Richard and Mary Cave. They were frustrated at the lack of treatments and support available for Mary's MS.

The first meeting of the MS Society took place on 2 December. So later this year we’ll be celebrating 70 years of working tirelessly with and for our community.  

The MS Society today

We’ve achieved so much in the last 70 years. Today, as in 1953, volunteers deliver and shape many areas of our work and decision-making across over 40 volunteer roles, and co-production and consultation groups.

October is Black History Month. A time for us to recognise and celebrate our Black community, to share their stories and amplify their voices.

This year’s theme is Saluting our Sisters. A chance for us to hear the stories of inspirational Black women across our community. An opportunity to recognise and celebrate their often-forgotten achievements. An occasion for us to come together to applaud the Black women in our lives.

Throughout October, we'll be:

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the MS Society Designs service will be unavailable between 29 August and 4 September 2023. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused.

In late 2019 and early 2020 we partnered with the Royal Ballet and a group of people living with MS to host a weekly ballet workshop with renowned choreographer Bim Malcomson at the Royal Opera House. The partnership was linked to the world premiere of Cathy Marston’s ballet The Cellist which tells the story of Jacqueline du Pré, a world-class cellist who lived with MS.

The Cellist will return to the Royal Opera House stage this October. And, we’re delighted to say, so will a new ballet workshop!

We want to help you maintain the longevity of your group’s social media accounts, to ensure the effort you put into setting up and running them doesn’t later go to waste. So, we’re asking groups to share access to their social media accounts with the Volunteer Engagement and Communications Team.

A personal social media account is one operated by you and about you. You could be talking about your hobbies, your breakfast, your latest holiday, or your work or volunteering. We’d love you to use your personal account to talk about your experience of volunteering with the MS Society.

If you do talk about your volunteering though, you’re representing the MS Society. We therefore ask that you familiarise yourself with our Social Media Policy, particularly the points below.

Over the coming weeks we’ll be starting a pilot of a new Comms Network.

The network aims to connect volunteers who look after the communications for their group with each other, as well as the Volunteer Engagement and Communications Team.

The Comms Network will enable members to come together in an informal space every few months to seek advice, as well as share best practice, opinions and feedback on specific pieces of work.