With the announcement of another UK-wide lockdown, it’s more important than ever to keep connected with the individuals and communities who are important in our lives.

Last year it was inspiring to see how those of you who could, continued to provide support to each other, your volunteers, members and service users online or by telephone. We know that following the announcement many of you will be looking to continue keeping in touch this way.

To help you do this, we’ve put together some resources and tips which you might find useful.

Last year 95 people affected by MS joined us at one of our Wellbeing Sessions and 1,147 participants attended our information webinars. Following feedback about how helpful these Living Well sessions were, we’ve been busy planning our 2021 programme. We’re pleased to be able to now share with you what we have in store over the next few months.

I hope you’ve managed to have a restful break and that you and your families are safe and well.

In usual circumstances, it would be appropriate to wish you all a very happy New Year. However, after the Government’s announcement of another UK-wide lockdown, following national lockdown announcements in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, I feel there’s a need for a different message this year.

We launched a new press campaign this week as part of our Stop MS Appeal. The aim of the campaign is to extend the reach of Stop MS and challenge the way people think about the condition. We want more people to realise that MS doesn’t just affect older people.

We recently carried out a study with Public Health England. It shows one in five people with MS in the UK is now under the age of 30. In the last year alone, we estimate over 1,250 people under 30 have been diagnosed.

It is the most common progressive neurological condition in young adults today.

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: