Disclosure Scotland will make changes to the PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups) scheme from 1 April 2025 to implement the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020.

Nothing will change for volunteers operating in Scotland who are already part of the PVG scheme. But the changes will mean that some volunteers in other specific roles in Scotland will need to be PVG checked for the first time before August 2025 to comply with the law.

As you may know, the launch of our new volunteer management system (Assemble) is part of a wider data and IT project in the organisation, called Project Sage. The project team has been meeting regularly to assess whether all the key milestones are being met to enable the launch of the systems involved in the project.

At a meeting on 13 February, it was determined that not everything had fallen into place. So, we took the decision to delay the ‘go live’ date.

We all have a duty to ensure conditions are as safe and healthy as possible — for the members of the MS community who attend our activities, and the volunteers who support them.

Health and Safety Policy review — Can you help?

We're looking for volunteers to help us review the Health and Safety policy that informs our risk management process.

Last year, we worked to define our strategy for the next five years — what our priorities should be, and where we need to make the biggest impact.

A key element of this involved listening to people affected by MS and other stakeholders who support them, including our volunteers. The input we received helped us shape our goals and focus our delivery plans.

Now, we’re ready and keen to share our refreshed strategy with everyone — but we’d value the involvement of our volunteers again.

We want to have a conversation with a group of people affected by MS to get your thoughts on brain donation for MS research. We want to know what you think and feel about it. This will help us find the best and most appropriate ways to talk about brain donation with the MS community.


We’re aware brain donation is a sensitive subject. So please get in touch if you have any questions before signing up.

Mark your diaries. MS Awareness Week 2025 is running from 28 April – 4 May. And this year's theme is 'MS conversations'.

We’re teaming up with our friends at MS Together, MS Trust, MS-UK, Neuro Therapy Network, Overcoming MS, Shift.ms and Talks with MS to share one unified message — talking about MS can be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be.

MS conversations are happening all the time. Whether it’s talking to a family member about their diagnosis or asking an employer for support. Finding the right words might be hard, but opening up can be empowering.

It’s not too late to book a place at a roadshow and spend time with your fellow volunteers.

The volunteer and community roadshows are now in full swing. The first event was held in Harlow on 6 February where 25 people joined us to share their views about our services and support.

Volunteers told us they really enjoyed exchanging ideas and experiences with each other. They also had the opportunity to have their say about the support that’s most important to them.

We’re continuing at pace to get everything ready for the launch of Assemble. The launch of Assemble is part of a complex data project for the organisation. The project team continues to meet to decide on organisational readiness for the launch of all the related systems. As soon as we’re able to share a more definitive update with the timeline for launch, we’ll be in touch by email.

Once Assemble goes live, there’ll be a range of support resources for you to use to get to know Assemble. We’ll keep this article updated with links as resources become available.

We know it’s not always practical to visit a solicitor to make your will. Through our partner, Octopus Legacy, you can write your will quickly and securely from the comfort of your own home. Whether it's your first time writing a will, or you want to update one, this is a simple way to get it sorted.

As an MS Society volunteer, you can use this service for free.

'We Are Undefeatable' is a collective movement supporting people with a range of long-term health conditions. The campaign is developed by 15 leading health and social care charities and backed by expertise, insight and significant National Lottery funding from Sport England.


The movement aims to support and encourage people to find ways of being active that work for them, and their health condition.