We’ve conducted new research into how genes and ethnicity affect MS. We’ve celebrated Pride and Black History Month. We have colleague EEDI champions who’ve worked with people living with MS to coproduce plans for the future. And we’ve built EEDI into our colleagues’ objectives.
We’ve trained managers to be aware of unconscious bias in recruitment practices. We’ve supported volunteers to use online recruitment to help us widen the pool of potential candidates. And we’ve increased diversity in our Board of Trustees.
MS Society email accounts which haven’t been used for over two years have been suspended to protect the MS Society’s data. Accounts which are not regularly used open us to a security risk.
Join us at our EEDI virtual launch event on Monday 6 December, 4-5pm.
Valuing equity, equality, diversity and inclusion is a vital part of what success looks like in our organisation. We want to be there for everyone affected by MS. Until we are, we’re not going to fulfil our core mission of a world free from the effects of MS.
If you don’t already know, our Stop MS Appeal is our campaign to raise £100 million to find treatments for everyone with MS.
To stop MS, we need treatments that repair lost myelin and protect nerves from damage, as well as ones that prevent immune attacks. And through funding more world-leading research, we’ll help to enable new studies, vital infrastructure projects and ground-breaking clinical trials.
By 2025 we aim to be in the final stages of testing a range of treatments for everyone with MS. We won’t stop until we have treatments for everyone with MS.
Since it opened in 1991, the MS Helpline has been here to provide information and emotional support to everyone affected by MS. Whether you have questions about treatments, want to find out how to access services, or just need to chat things through – our MS Helpline team is here for you. Last year alone, it had over 26,000 enquiries on the phone, email and via Facebook Messenger.
The last 18 months have been challenging on many levels, for individuals and for our organisation. We appreciate, and see the impact of, the support you continue to provide the MS community during this time through your volunteering. Thank you.
As we recover from the pandemic, we want to take the time to understand how you are feeling about your experience as a volunteer. We hope that you can help us understand what we are doing well and where we can make improvements to make your experience better.
We rely on passwords and PIN protection to keep our documents, files, phones and computers safe. It’s vitally important to have strong passwords and to follow our guidance on keeping personal data safe.
What makes a strong password?
A passphrase or a random three-word collection of 12 characters or more is a good start. Choose a phrase that is memorable to you, including numbers and capitals letters (such as 0urV0lunteer$ROCK or Flowers m00n b@th).
Our ambition is to build an inclusive MS Society, where EEDI is at the heart of everything we do and where everyone can be themselves. By recognising and respecting all our different lived experiences we’ll be stronger and our voice louder together.
What’s happening with our EEDI strategy?
Our Board of Trustees has approved our new corporate EEDI strategy and we’ve been developing an implementation plan setting out the concrete actions we will deliver to help drive change. These actions will enable us to embed EEDI in everything we do, and be bold in our commitments.
Today we’d like to share some news with you about a change to our Executive Group. Ed Holloway, our Executive Director of Digital and Services, will be leaving the MS Society at the end of the year.
Ed has been with the MS Society for almost 14 years and has become a pillar of support for our volunteers and community, having direct relationships with many volunteers. Helping to shape the support for volunteers across the UK to deliver their services and activities, and of course being an integral part of our monthly Volunteer Voice events. He’ll be greatly missed.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has put extra strain on overstretched health and social care services and made it even harder to access the right treatment and support. It’s therefore more important than ever that the voices of people with neurological conditions are heard.
