Our Regional Development Officers (RDOs) in England and Community Development Officers (CDOs) in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are part of our new Community Networks teams. They’ll have a key role in increasing the reach and visibility of the organisation and the work that we do locally. This could be through supporting the development of informal groups within the MS community, delivering information events, or supporting groups and individuals to influence decision makers about improvements in MS services.

On Saturday 5 December, we held our annual general meeting (AGM). For the first time, this was entirely virtual, via Zoom! Everything went smoothly and our team behind the scenes did a fantastic job to make sure of that.

The session covered a review of the past year, and the results of voting on resolutions and Trustee elections. This year included regular items such as appointing our auditors and receiving the 2019 Annual Report and Accounts.

Following the close of consultation for phase two of our restructure, the Executive Group has considered feedback and decided on a final structure for our support services.

As you know, like so many other charities, the coronavirus crisis has had a huge impact on our organisation financially. And we needed to take urgent action to ensure that we are able to continue to support the MS community next year and into the future.

As you know, our AGM is fast approaching and there are now only seven days left to have your say before voting closes at 11am on Thursday 3 December. You can find out how to vote in our AGM booklet on the main website here.

At the start of the year, we collaborated with the Royal Opera House on an exciting dance project inspired by Cathy Marston’s new ballet, The Cellist, which celebrates the life and career of Jacqueline du Pré. A group of 12 from our community attended weekly dance workshops held at the Royal Opera House.

Volunteer managers play a hugely important role at the MS Society – and we’re lucky to have so many excellent ones! They’re the people who recruit, welcome and induct volunteers, ensure they get the training and support they need, and give feedback and thanks. They help to inspire volunteers and guide them to success in their roles. They’re also the point of contact for support and the person who can step in if things go wrong.

Here’s what a few of our volunteer managers – both staff members and volunteers themselves – think about supporting and coordinating volunteers:

In the last volunteer update, we told you about the autumn phase of our ambitious Stop MS Appeal. We can see a future where nobody needs to worry about their MS getting worse, so we’re raising £100 million for research into treatments.

We’re already halfway there, but we need more MS Champions so we can reach our target by 2025.

What does an MS Champion do?

As an MS Champion, you can support the appeal by;

• Encouraging people you know to raise funds and awareness

• Networking to enthuse local fundraisers and community groups

At the end of such a difficult year, we want to get our community into the festive spirit by spreading some joy and laughter, whilst continuing to support people affected by MS.

So, we’re delighted to bring you a festive programme of carols, with readings from Emilia Fox, Robert Powell and Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen. Viewers will have the chance to share videos, ask questions to our celebrity host and take part in a special raffle.

By 2025, we want to have raised £100m to fund research that will lead to breakthroughs in MS research and treatment. We launched the appeal publicly in 2019 and have already secured an incredible £54 million to support our fight to beat MS.

During the pandemic, we’ve had to come up with new and innovative ways to continue fundraising, such as My MS Walk, MS Walk Live and 100k Your Way. Now it’s time for a final push in 2020, to raise as much as we can to keep research and clinical trials moving.