Back in March, the government announced plans to make big changes to disability benefits. If the changes go ahead, the proposals will cut the support some people receive from payments like Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Universal Credit. This will make it harder for some people with MS to access financial support.

We know many of you have been eagerly awaiting the launch of our new volunteer management system (VMS), Assemble.

Assemble is one of multiple connected systems that form a new data platform we’ve been developing called Sage. This platform will bring all our data into one central location, creating a single and reliable source.

Whilst we’re ready to go live with Assemble, there have been some issues during the testing phase of Sage relating to finance and donations. As you'll understand, as a charity, Sage simply can't go live without these working properly.

Project Mead is our services transformation project, which will improve our UK-wide services and support offer.

We’ve been speaking to volunteers and our staff teams to understand how we can make it easier for people to find out about our services and move between online services, virtual services and local community services. We’ve been asking how we can tailor services to meet the individual needs of everyone who comes to us for support, no matter where they are on their journey with MS.

I want to say a huge thanks this Volunteers’ Week to all the volunteers who give so much time and expertise to the MS Society and our community. You make what we do possible!

What I do

I’m Gavin Atkins, the Executive Director of Services and Support. This means I have the huge privilege of overseeing everything we provide to support those affected by MS to live well.

On April 29, we hosted a vibrant online strategy engagement session that brought together dedicated volunteers from across the MS Society community. The event generated thoughtful, constructive discussions about how we can collectively bring our strategy to life.

Your voice matters

Twelve passionate volunteers contributed their valuable insights and experiences, helping to shape how we'll communicate and implement our strategic vision. The session demonstrated the incredible depth of knowledge and commitment within our volunteer community.

Volunteers’ Week is just around the corner. Find out how we’ll be marking this special week and how you can get involved individually or as a group.

This year, Volunteers’ Week takes place from Monday 2 June to Sunday 8 June.  

It’s a time for charities, voluntary groups, social organisations, and volunteers themselves to come together. And it’s a time to recognise the incredible impact that volunteering has on communities around the UK. 

We recognise the news regarding the UK Supreme Court ruling on the definition of sex for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010 will be impacting people within our community, especially trans, non-binary and intersex people.




Our commitment to making the MS Society a safe place for everyone in our community is unchanged and we continue our work to support this through our Equity, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy/programme and work.

The MS community and our volunteer network sit at the heart of everything we do. In recent years, the community has been telling us that we need to do more to make our services accessible and make it easier for people to find out about services.

You’ve also told us that we can go further to develop resources and improve processes to help you deliver vital services and support for people affected by MS.

We want to deliver the changes that the community has been asking for. That’s why, last year, we launched Project Mead, our services transformation project.

If you're a Support Volunteer or Group Coordinator, come and join us on Zoom for a few hours of lively debate, friendly support and optimism at an MS Support forum this month.

The forums will be facilitated by our MS Support Team, Deborah and Barbara, who'd particularly love to welcome any new Support Volunteers.

The sessions will include:

• A briefing about the proposed changes to disability benefits. We know this is a hot topic that those you support may want to discuss.

We know that to build the most meaningful connections with people living with and affected by MS, support needs to come from the local community. We’ve recently opened two new volunteer roles to help raise awareness, and to identify and support as many people as possible in their local areas.

Community Engagement Volunteer (Asian MS)

Asian MS is a national support group that offers tailored and culturally sensitive services for Asian people with MS, their carers, friends and family. The group’s aimed at people whose heritage originates from South Asia.