If you’d like to find out more about what Local Action for MS is, the support, tools and resources you can access, and hear real stories from campaigners, we’d love to see you!
We began our Volunteer Voice sessions during the unsettling days of the first lockdown, so we could come together to share experiences and ideas on supporting our community and each other. We wanted to update you on how the organisation was responding to the challenges of the pandemic, hear your questions and concerns, and provide reassurance where we could. As 2020 progressed, and the sessions were well received, we settled into the current monthly schedule.
We’ve waited two years for the UK Government’s plans to improve disability benefits. And now is our opportunity to make sure the MS community is heard loud and clear, so the Government knows what they need to do to make benefits work for people with MS.
By 2025, we want to be in the final stages of testing treatments for everyone with MS. Treatments that slow or stop disability progression.
We believe £100 million could take us to a future where no one has to worry about MS getting worse. And we need your help to get there!
The good news is we’re already over halfway to our ambitious target, and by joining #TeamStopMS you can help us reach our goal – and have some fun in the process!
Last year, as we talked about the changes the creation of the new Community Networks Team would bring, one of the things we discussed was making an annual visit to each of our groups.
As the Scottish, Northern Irish, Welsh and English governments plan to reduce or remove COVID-19 restrictions in the coming weeks, we’re continuing to review how we support groups to restart face-to-face services and activities, if they wish to.
We’re delighted that the gradual easing of lockdown has meant we can support a return to some group fundraising activities, such as street and store collections. But, with fewer people now carrying cash, it’s more important than ever for us to have an effective solution for receiving donations by card.
Before the pandemic, we had encouraged the use of iZettle devices, but it became clear that these weren’t meeting our needs across the organisation. And, now that iZettle are owned by PayPal, it’s no longer possible for groups to have their own, separate, accounts.
When someone visits our website and uses the local search function, they’ll be given a list of events and services available in their area.
However, events and services which do not have a valid postcode won’t appear in the ‘Near me’ local services search. This means that, where an online activity has been added to the Portal using N/A or ‘virtual’ in the postcode field, it won’t be displayed to the person searching.
Congratulations to our Mutual Support Group who have been nominated as one of three finalists in the Family Values category of this year's Soldiering On Awards (Armed Forces Community Awards).
Mutual Support started 30 years ago to support serving and ex-serving members of the Armed Forces affected by MS, as well as their dependants and carers. It’s the only MS group to offer tailored support and guidance for the specialist and geographical needs of the military community.
On Thursday 22 July, we’ll be joining the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) and the MS International Federation (MSIF) to mark World Brain Day.
This years’ theme is dedicated to MS, with a focus on sharing vital information about the signs, symptoms, and treatment of MS.
World Brain Day provides an opportunity to highlight the urgent need for early diagnosis of MS and advocate for access to health care, education, research, and effective treatments.
