In September’s Volunteer Newsletter, we were excited to announce that this year marks 70 years of the MS Society. You can find a copy of the article here.

The MS Society was founded in 1953 by volunteers Richard and Mary Cave. They were frustrated at the lack of treatments and support available for Mary's MS. They held the first MS Society meeting on 2 December in Chelsea Town Hall! And 70 years later there are nearly 3,000 of you!

This October, we’re excited to announce our partnership with Guardian Angel, our new free will writing provider.

We know it’s not always practical to visit a solicitor to make your will. That’s why we’ve partnered with Guardian Angel, so you can write your will online or by phone. All wills are checked by a legal professional, and their expert team will be on hand if you have any questions.

As an MS Society volunteer, we’re pleased to let you know that you’re entitled to use this service for free.

As we wave goodbye to summer, our thoughts are turning to the Financial Year-End process.

We want to start preparing early so that the process works as smoothly as possible for everyone.



As a result of feedback last year, we’ll be using a simpler online system for the 2023 Year-End process.

However, the Finance Volunteer and Group Coordinator for each group will need to use their MS Society email addresses ([email protected]) this year.

In 2021, we shared our Equity, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EEDI) strategy. This aimed to make the MS Society more inclusive and make sure that we represented and supported the whole MS community. Now, we're going to audit our progress. How are we doing? Are we on track to achieve what we said? Are there areas where we could be doing better? Where should we focus next?

Our Volunteer Impact Awards are one way that we acknowledge the commitment, achievements, and successes of our volunteers. The awards shine a spotlight on their amazing contributions and the impact they have on people affected by MS. And they culminate in a star-studded annual event, live streamed across the UK!

We wanted to let you know about our exciting plans to open two charity shops in the Greater Manchester area.  

Our plans, and why now?

We know that, to continue supporting the MS community, we need to find new ways to increase our income. We want to develop our organisation-wide services so we can support and reach more people affected by MS.  

We’ve carefully researched the market and found that more people are now visiting charity shops. The demand for good quality, pre-loved items is on the rise.  

The MS Society was founded in 1953 by Richard and Mary Cave. They were frustrated at the lack of treatments and support available for Mary's MS.

The first meeting of the MS Society took place on 2 December. So later this year we’ll be celebrating 70 years of working tirelessly with and for our community.  

The MS Society today

We’ve achieved so much in the last 70 years. Today, as in 1953, volunteers deliver and shape many areas of our work and decision-making across over 40 volunteer roles, and co-production and consultation groups.

October is Black History Month. A time for us to recognise and celebrate our Black community, to share their stories and amplify their voices.

This year’s theme is Saluting our Sisters. A chance for us to hear the stories of inspirational Black women across our community. An opportunity to recognise and celebrate their often-forgotten achievements. An occasion for us to come together to applaud the Black women in our lives.

Throughout October, we'll be:

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the MS Society Designs service will be unavailable between 29 August and 4 September 2023. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused.