If you don’t already know, our Stop MS Appeal is our campaign to raise £100 million to find treatments for everyone with MS.
To stop MS, we need treatments that repair lost myelin and protect nerves from damage, as well as ones that prevent immune attacks. And through funding more world-leading research, we’ll help to enable new studies, vital infrastructure projects and ground-breaking clinical trials.
By 2025 we aim to be in the final stages of testing a range of treatments for everyone with MS. We won’t stop until we have treatments for everyone with MS.
Since it opened in 1991, the MS Helpline has been here to provide information and emotional support to everyone affected by MS. Whether you have questions about treatments, want to find out how to access services, or just need to chat things through – our MS Helpline team is here for you. Last year alone, it had over 26,000 enquiries on the phone, email and via Facebook Messenger.
The last 18 months have been challenging on many levels, for individuals and for our organisation. We appreciate, and see the impact of, the support you continue to provide the MS community during this time through your volunteering. Thank you.
As we recover from the pandemic, we want to take the time to understand how you are feeling about your experience as a volunteer. We hope that you can help us understand what we are doing well and where we can make improvements to make your experience better.
We rely on passwords and PIN protection to keep our documents, files, phones and computers safe. It’s vitally important to have strong passwords and to follow our guidance on keeping personal data safe.
What makes a strong password?
A passphrase or a random three-word collection of 12 characters or more is a good start. Choose a phrase that is memorable to you, including numbers and capitals letters (such as 0urV0lunteer$ROCK or Flowers m00n b@th).
Our ambition is to build an inclusive MS Society, where EEDI is at the heart of everything we do and where everyone can be themselves. By recognising and respecting all our different lived experiences we’ll be stronger and our voice louder together.
What’s happening with our EEDI strategy?
Our Board of Trustees has approved our new corporate EEDI strategy and we’ve been developing an implementation plan setting out the concrete actions we will deliver to help drive change. These actions will enable us to embed EEDI in everything we do, and be bold in our commitments.
Today we’d like to share some news with you about a change to our Executive Group. Ed Holloway, our Executive Director of Digital and Services, will be leaving the MS Society at the end of the year.
Ed has been with the MS Society for almost 14 years and has become a pillar of support for our volunteers and community, having direct relationships with many volunteers. Helping to shape the support for volunteers across the UK to deliver their services and activities, and of course being an integral part of our monthly Volunteer Voice events. He’ll be greatly missed.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has put extra strain on overstretched health and social care services and made it even harder to access the right treatment and support. It’s therefore more important than ever that the voices of people with neurological conditions are heard.
Our virtual running challenge, the Big MS Run Off, is back this November and we’re calling all MS Superstars to take part.
Join one of our two rival teams of runners from across the country to compete for the glory of running the furthest distance, whilst raising vital funds to help stop MS.
You’ll be led by one of our captains who will keep you motivated and update you on your team’s progress throughout the month, as you clock up the miles together.
We know how much some of you have enjoyed returning to face-to-face social activities in the past few months. And, with October now upon us, we know that organising an end-of-year party may be on your mind. After the isolations of the past 18 months, some of you will be keen to get together for a celebration, whereas others will continue to be more cautious about how they socialise. We want to help you ensure that whatever you might be planning is as safe as possible.
We’ve just opened recruitment for Council Members for our Cymru/Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland Councils, and for a Council Chair for our Cymru/Wales Council. Our National Councils help us reach further into the MS community in each nation of the UK, acting as ambassadors for our cause and enabling people affected by MS to share what matters most to them. Councils help to deliver our strategy and national plans, and contribute to the Board’s understanding of nation-specific priorities and issues.
