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Our group requirements

Our groups may provide an opportunity to meet together every so often, they may want to help raise funds for us, or they may deliver services and activities for people affected by MS.

Find out more in our Group Handbook

All groups must meet our basic requirements, and if you handle money and provide services and activities for people affected by MS, there are additional requirements we expect you to meet.

See Group Handbook A2: Requirements, support, tool and resources

All MS Society groups must:

1) Respect our values, and ensure that all volunteers follow our Code of Conduct

  1. Find out more about Our values and how we deal with problems

2) Follow our policies and rules, ensure that everything you do is safe, and manage personal data appropriately

  1. See our Policies and rules
  2. Learn about Health and safety
  3. Find out more about Handling data

3) Keep us informed of your activities

  1. Contact your Local Networks Officer
  2. Learn how to use the Portal

Groups that handle money and provide services and activities must:

1) Be available to all people affected by MS in the area, be easy to contact, regularly communicate with members, and ensure information about MS and MS Society services and activities is available to everyone in your community

  1. See more on Availability, contact and communication
  2. Learn how to Use our brand
  3. Find out about Giving information

2) Manage your finances appropriately

  1. Learn how to Manage your finances
  2. Make an expenses claim

3) Have volunteers responsible for planning and delivering activities, and managing finances

  1. See our Group roles
  2. Find out how your Coordinating Team should operate

4) As a minimum, raise enough funds to cover the cost of your activities

  1. See our guidance on Effective fundraising

5) All activities and services you provide must:

  • align with our strategy and meet the needs of people affected by MS
  • be available to the whole MS community you serve
  • be safe and high quality
  1. Read our Strategy 2015-2019
  2. See our guidance on Developing services and activities

Optional additional services

Although they are not requirements for MS Society groups, we know that certain services have a positive impact on people affected by MS, and we encourage our groups to provide them. These services are:

  • MS Support
  • Grants
  • Campaigning
  • Fundraising (beyond the amount required to support your activities)

Where you have the capacity to deliver these, we will offer support and guidance to help your group to do so.

  1. Learn about Supporting people
  2. Go to Fundraising and campaigning

Need support?

Your Local Networks Officer is here to work with you to help extend your reach, raise awareness of MS locally and offer excellent services to people affected by MS.

  1. Get contact details for your Local Networks Officer

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