Next week, starting on 7 June, is Carers Week! Carers Week was established by Carers UK more than 25 years ago. It’s an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK.
Carers across the UK are continuing to face new challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. And many people are taking on more caring responsibilities for their relatives and friends who are disabled, ill or older and who need support.
We had to pause Teamspirit at the start of the pandemic, and it will remain on hold until we’ve completed an upcoming communications review. But we recently published a special issue which was sent out in print. If you had previously asked to be removed from our print distribution list you won’t have received it, so we’re pleased to share it with you online now.
The issue includes:
Organisational charts for the four teams within Community Networks.
A reminder of our commitment to listen to volunteers and improve the support we offer.
In recent times, we all see and hear about more and more cyber attacks. There are many different types of phishing emails and scams on the internet nowadays. And, as cyber criminals become more sophisticated, it’s becoming harder and harder to identify scams. It’s important we’re aware of potential risks, what to look out for and how to protect our accounts.
World MS Day is on Sunday 30 May, and this year the theme is ‘connections’. It’s all about building community connection, self-connection and connections to quality care. The MS International Federation (MSIF), of which we’re a member, has developed this campaign to challenge social barriers that leave people affected by MS feeling lonely and socially isolated.
‘Not Alone’
The campaign tagline is ‘Not Alone’ and the campaign hashtag is #MSConnections. And we encourage you to get involved on your social media channels using this tag.
Our MS-STAT2 trial is investigating whether simvastatin can slow disability progression when taken over a three-year period. They’re measuring progression using the Expanded Disability Status Scale, which assesses changes in walking and other MS symptoms.
With the vaccination programme well underway, and lockdown restrictions easing, many of us are enjoying spending time with loved ones once again. So why not get your nearest and dearest together to celebrate with some sweet treats – whilst making a real difference for people affected by MS?
It's important to us that you have the tools and support you need to serve your MS communities, and that volunteering with us is an enjoyable and rewarding experience. We want to make sure that systems and resources are designed in partnership with the volunteers who will use them, and that decisions affecting local groups are made by volunteers and staff working together.
