Message from Ruth Leonard, Virtual Communities Manager

Hi everyone, I’m Ruth, and I recently started a new role at the MS Society as Virtual Communities Manager.

My work has always been rooted in the belief that “we are free to change the world” — a reminder that people, when connected and supported, can create extraordinary change together.

That belief has shaped my entire career in volunteering, peer support and community powered services.

A bit about my background

I came into this work through lived experience. A full time volunteering role with CSV (now Volunteering Matters) changed the direction of my life, giving me the confidence to study, graduate, and discover that everything I had once hoped to do through journalism — amplifying unheard voices, enabling social justice, bringing people together — could be achieved through volunteering.

Over the last 20 years I’ve developed peer led and community based services across the health charity sector. At Macmillan I led innovative peer support programmes, including a reciprocal time-banking model and the shift to online emotional support during the pandemic.

I’ve also continued to volunteer throughout my life — as a Samaritans listener, community mediator, compassionate neighbour at my local hospice, Trustee, and now as Chair of the Association of Volunteer Managers. These roles keep me grounded in what community feels like from the inside: human, hopeful and full of possibility.

My role at the MS Society

As Virtual Communities Manager, I’m responsible for developing and supporting our online peer to peer and befriending spaces so people affected by MS can connect safely, meaningfully and on their own terms. This includes:

• ensuring our virtual communities are inclusive, reciprocal and welcoming
• supporting volunteers who befriend others, moderate or contribute to shared and digital spaces
• using data and insight to understand what people need and how we can improve
• strengthening governance, safeguarding and quality so people feel confident participating

My background in peer support means I’m particularly focused on creating environments where people can share experiences, offer emotional support, and build community in ways that feel natural and empowering.

A typical day doesn’t really exist (and I like it that way). Mornings are for focused thinking — projects, frameworks, data — and afternoons for the more conceptual work: shaping strategy, exploring ideas, and meeting volunteers at times that work for them, which is often out of office hours. As I often say, involving volunteers and peer support is reactive by nature, and that’s part of what makes it special.

How this supports MS Help

MS Help is about ensuring people can access the right support, in the right way, at the right time — and virtual communities are a vital part of that. They offer connection, solidarity and practical wisdom from people who truly understand MS. My role supports the vision by helping ensure our online spaces are:

• Consistent and safe, with clear standards and guidance
• Flexible and inclusive, so more people can contribute in ways that suit their lives
• Co created, drawing on lived experience and volunteer insight
• Impact driven, using data and stories to understand what’s working and what needs to evolve

My background in volunteering, peer support, developing communities, and service innovation means I’m particularly excited about how volunteers can shape and strengthen the emotional, practical and community based elements of MS Help.

What success looks like

Success, for me, is when people affected by MS feel:

• Connected — able to find others who “get it” and genuinely listened to
• Supported — with clear processes, good communication, and responsiveness
• Empowered — able to share their strengths, experiences and insights
• Included — seeing themselves reflected in our communities

And when volunteers feel valued, equipped and part of something meaningful, with others seeing the difference they make.

Challenges and opportunities

The biggest challenge is also the biggest opportunity: change. As MS Help evolves, we need to bring volunteers with us — clearly, compassionately, and collaboratively. Volunteers are central to delivering the vision, and their insight will help us build services that truly meet people’s needs.

We also need to ensure our virtual communities evolve with people’s needs. Digital spaces move quickly, and we need to stay responsive, inclusive and open to new ways of connecting. I’m excited about strengthening this area of work, improving accessibility, and widening the range of people who feel able to participate.

And finally… Outside work you’ll usually find me reading, walking in the countryside or dancing. I describe myself as curious, kind and collaborative, and I’m looking forward to working with volunteers and community members to build spaces that feel supportive, vibrant and genuinely life enhancing.