welcome to the may edition of teamspirit. contents · 2019-07-11 · wales, northern ireland and...

Teamspirit No. 176 May 2011

Welcome to the May edition of Teamspirit.

Contents

Page 2 Branch and national support group donationsPage 3 News and events3 Support Page 16 FundraisingPage 19 Committee administrationPage 20 FinancePage 23 For EnglandPage 26 For WalesPage 28 ScotlandPage 32 Northern IrelandPage 35 ClassifiedsBack page Directory

Don’t forget - the information in the first six sections is for everyone, wherever you are inthe UK.

Get in touch We’re always keen to hear your feedback, so if you have any comments, suggestionsor ideas email [email protected], phone 020 8438 0944 or write to Teamspirit,MS Society, 372 Edgware Road, London NW2 6ND.

If you’re a newsletter editor, email [email protected] to receive a version ofTeamspirit that you can copy and paste into your branch or regional newsletter.

For branch officers and national support group committee members

TeamspiritNo. 176 May 2011

Teamspirit No. 176 May 2011 2

Branch donationsResearchEarmarked/

general fundsDescriptionBranch or group

Basingstoke & DistrictBelfastBexley & DartfordBridgend & DistrictCanterbury & DistrictCheltenham & NorthCotswoldColeraineDunoon & DistrictFermanaghHastings & RotherHenley On Thames &DistrictHereford & DistrictKings Lynn & District

Leighton Buzzard &DistrictLewishamMendipRedbridgeScarborough & DistrictShetland BranchShrewsbury & District(legacy received by thebranch)Sutton

Waltham ForestWest Hertfordshire

Cambridge Myelin Repair CentreMS Nurses

Young people’s eventGeneral funds

Edinburgh TranslationalResearch Centre (SRG no. 838)Tissue Bank

MS Nurses

MS Nurses

Cambridge Myelin Repair CentreFairer Financial Assistance FundTissue BankCambridge Myelin Repair CentreHelplineFairer Financial Assistance FundTissue BankMS Nurses

£1,200£2,500£1,000

£1,000£1,000

£5,000

£500

£1,000

£2,000

£10,000£2,500£5,000£6,000£3,000£3,000£3,000£5,000

£2,000£800

£1,000£1,000£3,000

£2,000£490£2,000

£5,000

£500

£1,000£3,000£400

£10,000£2,500

£3,000

£7,500

£52,700 £45,190Totals

These are donations recorded in January and February 2011, except Northern Ireland donations, which were recorded in November 2010. Funds marked ‘general’ are not earmarked.

MS Week23-29 May 2011

Putting MS on the mapMS Week is an opportunity to uniteeveryone whose life is touched by MS. Ourmain aims are to raise awareness of MSand raise money. This year’s theme isputting MS on the map.

Use the MS Week pack to make the mostof MS Week for your branch or group.There are activities you can do whether youhave 10 minutes, an hour, a day or even abit more time.

The MS RegisterMS Week 2011 focuses on research andwe will launch the MS Register.

The aim of the MS Register is to provide,for the first time in the UK, an accuratepicture of how MS impacts on the lives ofpeople who have it. From 23 May, anyonewith MS will be able to log onto a websiteand provide information about the impact

that MS has on their life. We’ll put the linkon the MS Society website on 23 May.There is more information about the registerin the MS Week pack.

Map MSMany people affected by MS want to sharetheir experiences and hear about what it’slike for others. That’s why we’re givinganyone whose life is touched by MS theopportunity to share their story through theMap MS project.

We can all use this powerful tool to raiseawareness and when fundraising - it willput hundreds of MS stories all in one place.

The Map MS roadshowDuring May a special stand will travel thecountry, stopping at shopping centres andother venues. It will visit Derry/Londonderry (6 May), Belfast (10 May),Glasgow (13th), Merry Hill (16th), Newcastle(17th), Liverpool (20th), Edinburgh (TBC),Cardiff (25th) and London (TBC).


News and events

Your MS Week packChairs should have received an MS Weekpack in March with information about MSWeek and putting MS on the map. Theinformation from the packs is online soeveryone can access it.

Go to www.mssociety.org.uk/branchzoneand look for the MS Week 2011 link on theright-hand side. Email [email protected] or call 020 8438 0944 ifyou need a copy in the post.

All you have to do is film a 30 secondvideo and upload it to our dedicated MSWeek website, which will launch around thebeginning of May at www.mapms.org.uk.

Do share your story – anyone with accessto a computer and webcam or asmartphone can do it. If you are notonline, encourage other people like yourfamily, friends and members to film theirstory and put MS on the map.

The videos will be added to a map of theUK, so if you live in Glasgow, for example,your film will pop up at that location.

The roadshow aims to raise awarenessabout MS amongst the general public.There will also be an opportunity to filmyour story, so people affected by MS cantake part in Map MS at the roadshow itself.We’ll then upload stories to the map.

MS Week receptionWe will be holding an MS Week reception inparliament where we’ll ask MPs to put MSon the map in their constituencies. We needyour help to make sure that as many MPsattend as possible!

National events in the runup and during MS Week

MS Register – launched 23 May

Map MS – online from early May atwww.mapms.org.uk

Map MS roadshow – from 6-27 May

Cake break – Our flagship fundraiser willhappen on Friday 20 May (or you can pick adate that suits you). Anyone and everyonecan get involved! See page 16.

Viral film – A director from AardmanAnimations, makers of Wallace and Gromit,has volunteered to make a film to raiseawareness of MS.

Parliament – MS Week receptions forparliamentarians and/ or high valuesupporters in Stormont, London andEdinburgh.

Media activity – There will be mediacoverage throughout the week.


News and events

If you are in a roadshow area or nearby

• Are you able to be a helper on the day?We need people to help out on the stand.

• Can you, your family and friends comeand record a 30-second film on the dayabout your experience of MS? Youdon’t need ANY technical expertise.

• Please encourage the rest of yourbranch to come along if you are nearby.Can you organise an outing and bringmembers along? This will really makesure we create a buzz.

Please email [email protected] call 020 8438 0944 with any questions,to let us know you are coming or toregister as a helper – Map MS needs you!

Write to your MP using our templateletter at www.mssociety.org.uk/msweekunder ‘What can you do’. The moreconstituents contact them, the more likelythey are to go. For other ways to engageyour MP see the MS Week pack.

Open meetings2011

Help us shape the future of the MS Societyby having your say at one of our openmeetings. You will hear about our latestresearch and activities and be able to takepart in discussions on fundraising andcampaigns. This will influence where wecommit our efforts in the future.

This is also an opportunity to meet ourtrustees and senior staff and discuss withthem what you think the issues are thataffect people living with MS. “A greatopportunity for members, staff andtrustees to talk openly together” was justone of the positive comments frommembers who attended last year’s openmeetings.

Dates and locations You can go to whichever meeting isconvenient for you:

• London area – Sunday 8 May, NCVO,central London

• Wales – Saturday 14 May at RamadaPlaza Hotel, Wrexham

• West – Saturday 14 May at theBirmingham Metropole, Birmingham

• North – Saturday 21 May at LeylandHotel, Preston, Lancashire

• Scotland – Saturday 4 June at PerthConcert Hall, Perth

• East – Saturday 11 June, Marriott Hotel,Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire

• South – Saturday 18 June at the Hilton,Maidstone, Kent

The Northern Ireland meeting took place on16 April while Teamspirit was at press.

Set the agendaOpen meetings will be the main placewhere members’ resolutions for the AGM in September 2011 will be discussed andformed. This gives us all the chance toshare our views, right across the UK. Thinkyou have a topic that could be a resolution?See the next article for what to do.

See the England, Wales and Scotlandpages for booking information, or visithttp://www.mssociety.org.uk/news_events/events/open_meetings.html. Hope to seeyou there.

Call for AGMresolutions

Is there something the MS Society could bedoing differently in order to better supportpeople living with MS?

Any member can propose business to beincluded in the Society’s Annual GeneralMeeting (AGM) by formally requesting theChief Executive to consider a proposal onor before 2 July. We’d like to encourage youand other members to discuss yourproposals at open meetings (see above)over the coming months. The AGM will beheld on Saturday 10 September in London.

If you think you have a topic that could be aresolution, let us know. Email Sonja Pinnellat [email protected] or call 0208438 0862.


News and events

Short Breaks andActivities Fund

The grants team will launch the ShortBreaks and Activities (SBA) Fund UK-wideon 3 May 2011.

The SBA Fund was developed to supportour new approach to funding short breaks,respite care and holidays We’ve piloted it inWales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. From3 May the fund will be available to peopleaffected by MS in England.

The fund is so far proving to be successfulin its aim to provide greater individualsupport to people affected by MS, whereverthey live and whatever their needs are forshort breaks. Grants can be considered for:

• respite care, either in the home or at acare centre or similar

• an activity (or series of activities),experience, short break or holiday forsomeone with MS and/ or their carer

• salary costs for a professional carerneeded to help someone with MS, ortheir carer, have a break either in theirhome or elsewhere

• travel, accommodation and disabilityequipment hire costs during a break

• some alternative or complementarytherapies

Grants have been awarded so far from thefund for a variety of short breaks. The firstgrant awarded was for a family holiday toEgypt for a lady with MS in her 40s, herhusband and their son.Her husband wrote in their application:

“We try to live our lives to the best of ourabilities, but the strain on myself and thefamily is forcing our relationship and thefamily to breaking point. I feel that if mywife and the family had something to focuson, it may help reduce the stress andfatigue the illness constantly puts on her”.

The couple’s adult daughter will be stayingat the resort at the same time and will beable to assist with caring for her mother sothat her father has a break.

Another application for a family holidaycame from a 32-year-old woman with twoyoung children. She wrote that: “for myselfand my husband it would be a chance torelax and reconnect with each other as acouple. We have both lost so muchindependence as a result of my MS. I relyon him, and he never gets a break fromlooking after me and the children”.

Both of these women are wheelchair usersand have used their SBA Fund grants topay for accessible accommodation withtheir partners and families. Other applicantshave received grants towards the cost ofaccessible transport or equipment they mayneed when on holiday.

The SBA Fund can also help people with thecost of more traditional forms of respitecare. One man’s social worker wrote abouther client: “He is not able to get outsideoften and his last break was in early 2010when he went to a Vitalise Centre. He had agreat time and came back feeling a lothappier in himself”. Vitalise is a charity thatprovides respite care and short breaks in anumber of centres across the UK.


News and events

This gentleman does not have a carer livingwith him and is therefore not entitled to anyrespite care funding through social services.We have been able to award him a granttowards another week at a Vitalise centre.

Other grants have been awarded for awhole variety of requests: flexible carehours to enable a person to go away withher husband when he is obliged to travel for work, help towards gym membership for a wheelchair user whose local gymprovides exercise sessions for people withdisabilities, and the cost of a PA toaccompany a family on holiday to assistwith a person’s care needs.

Top-ups to social services funding forrespite care is something the Society hasalways helped with and we will continue todo so from the SBA Fund if this sort ofassistance is requested. The fund is inplace to enable people affected by MS toaccess the sort of break they choose,whatever that may be.

All grant applications need to beaccompanied by a letter of support from anappropriate health or social careprofessional explaining why the applicantneeds a break and how the need relates totheir MS.

The SBA Fund is administered by the grantsteams at MS National Centre in London andthe national Office for Scotland. We havedeveloped a new application form for thefund, which you can get from the grantsteams on the contact details below.

Branches are not obliged to contributetowards the cost of requests to the fund,but in most instances we will contact youwhen an application has been received fromsomeone in your area, to ensure that grantsare not duplicated by your branch. If yourcommittee is keen to offer a grant towardsthe request it would, of course, be welcome.

Please promote the SBA Fund to peopleaffected by MS in your area.

If you would like more information about theSBA Fund or an application form, pleasecontact the grants team on:

• England, Wales, Northern Ireland: 0208438 0700 or [email protected]

• Scotland: 0131 335 4081 [email protected]

Other grantsnews

We will be welcoming our new GrantsManager, Julie Gilson, to the team at MSNational Centre at the end of April.

We would like to thank you for bearing withus during the last few months when we mayhave taken longer than usual to respond tosome of your enquiries and requests. Wecan assure you that with Julie’s arrival andthe recent addition to the team of TracyMiles, our new grants officer, normal servicewill soon be resumed!


News and events

Join the HardestHit protest on 11May!

We need your support! As part of ourcampaign against cuts to disability benefits,we will be taking part in a mass protest inLondon on 11 May with other leadingdisability charities.

We want to make sure people with MS arerepresented, so we hope that you andmembers in your community will join us andhelp us get loud!

Please help us by spreading the word andadvertising the Hardest Hit campaign andprotest on 11 May in your newsletter, if yournext edition comes out in time. You can usethe following information:

Join the Hardest Hitcampaign and protest!The MS Society is supporting the HardestHit campaign, which brings togetherindividuals and organisations to send aclear message to the Government: Disabledpeople, those living with a long-termcondition and their families are being hithard by cuts to the benefits and servicesthey need to live their lives – stop thesecuts.

Visit www.hardesthit.org.uk to find out moreand support the campaign by:

• signing up to join the Hardest Hit protestat the Houses of Parliament in Londonon 11 May

• writing to your MP

• joining our online protest by sending inyour stories, photos and videos [email protected] or sharing yourstory at:www.surveymonkey.com/s/msstories

You can also join the campaign onFacebook and follow it on Twitter. For moreinformation, sign up to receive our regularCampaigns Network updates by visitingwww.mssociety.org.uk/campaignsnetworkor visit our Facebook pages atwww.facebook.com/mssociety.

MS nursescampaign

The MS Society’s 2011 campaign to saveMS nurses launched on 16 March. Therewas media coverage of our campaign inboth the Guardian and Nursing Standardmagazine.

Twenty-eight MPs have already signed upto an early day motion (a parliamentaryversion of a petition) supporting MS nurses.You can read more about the campaign andwrite to your MP on this issue using ourtemplate letter at:www.mssociety.org.uk/savemsnurses.


News and events

Become a trusteeor councilmember

We need volunteers to join the MS Society’snational councils in Scotland, Wales,England and Northern Ireland and to betrustees of the Society’s Board.

Council members and trustees are a voicefor people living with MS across the UK andcontribute to the governance andmanagement of the MS Society. Peoplewith a wide range of skills and backgroundsare needed, to speak for the diversecommunities where MS has an impact.

The Board of Trustees is committed torepresentation from all nations of the UK, inparticular from Wales and Northern Ireland,and is also particularly looking for peoplewith knowledge of diversity issues, charitylaw and investment and propertymanagement.

The Board and all councils would alsowelcome applications from young people,women, and black and minority ethnicgroups.

The vacancies• The Board of trustees has six trustee

vacancies

• The England Council is recruiting to sixvacancies in Cheshire & Merseyside,East Midlands, Kent, London, Surrey &Sussex and Hertfordshire, Essex &Bedfordshire

• Wales has three vacancies

• Northern Ireland has four vacancies

• Scotland is recruiting between eight and12 council members

How to apply

Applications need to be submitted by 9May (unless otherwise stated below). Formore information about what the trusteeand council member roles involve or torequest an application pack, contact:

Trustee role: Email [email protected] orphone 020 8438 0862.

England Council: [email protected] or phone 0208438 0807. Applications need to besubmitted by 12 noon on 13 May.

Northern Ireland Council: [email protected] or phone 028 9080 2802.

Scotland Council: [email protected] orphone 0131 335 4062. Applications needto be submitted by 29 April.

Wales National Council: [email protected] or phone 0292078 6676.


News and events

Update on theVetting andBarring Scheme(VBS)

For England and Wales

The Government has now released detailsof its review into the Vetting and BarringScheme (VBS) and its proposals for reform.

These proposals apply directly to Englandand Wales. Information on how they willaffect Northern Ireland will be released indue course. A separate scheme runs inScotland. Details of who you shouldcontact with any questions are at the end ofthis article.

Although this will mean important changesfor branches and support groups, they willnot happen immediately. In the meantime,branches and support groups mustcontinue to carry out CRB checks on allthose working or volunteering regularly withpeople affected by MS or children.

What has happened so far?

In October 2009 the Labour governmentbegan to introduce a new system designedto ensure that anyone who was known tobe a risk to vulnerable groups wasprevented from working or volunteering withthem. This was known as the VBS.

In June 2010 the VBS was put on hold toallow time for the new coalition governmentto look again at the scheme. In February2011 this government released details ofthe outcome of the review.

The outcome was a number of proposalsfor a scaling back of the VBS and reform ofcriminal records checks. The proposals are:

• Existing organisations responsible forcriminal records checks should bemerged into one new organisation.

• This new organisation should makedecisions on whether an individualshould be barred from working orvolunteering with vulnerable groups.

• Only those working or volunteeringclosely and regularly with vulnerablegroups should be affected by barringarrangements.

• The VBS required individuals to registerwith a barring organisation - this shouldbe scrapped and information held onindividuals should not be continuouslymonitored.

• The new organisation should carry outCRB checks but the number of peoplewho need to have one should bereduced.

• People should be able to transfer CRBchecks between jobs and roles. Thisshould be made possible through thedevelopment of an online system thatallows organisations to quickly checkwhether any updated information is heldon a person.

• Penalties should be enforced against anorganisation if they put forward anindividual for a CRB check where it is notnecessary.


News and events

How does this affect mybranch or national supportgroup?

The changes that have been announcedwill not happen immediately. They willhappen over a period of time. Thegovernment still needs to talk withorganisations about the impact the proposalmight have and work on a plan forimplementing them. Also, a number of thechanges need new legislation and this willtake time to complete and may mean someprocedures change. Updates will beincluded in Teamspirit and on our websiteas and when we receive them.

In the meantime branches and supportgroups must continue to carry out CRBchecks on all those working or volunteeringregularly with vulnerable adults and/ orchildren. This includes support officers/volunteers, transport officers, drivers,escorts, information officers and socialsecretaries. However as roles do varyacross the MS Society, you must make sureyou consider each new volunteer on a caseby case basis, depending on their role.

Volunteers’ Week2011 (1-7 June)Hot on the heels of MS Week …

Volunteers’ Week is an annual nationalevent celebrating the fantastic contributionthat millions of volunteers like you makeacross the UK.

The week is an opportunity to raise theprofile of volunteering, recognise the effortsof current volunteers and recruit new ones.

During 1-7 June organisations will holdhundreds of events throughout the country,including showcases of different volunteerroles, volunteer recruitment events andawards ceremonies.

In the run up to Volunteers’ Week, hints andtips will be available on Branchzone tomake sure your branch or support groupcan make the most of it.

Please get in contact with the volunteeringteam at [email protected] andlet us know about your plans for the week.It’s always great to hear about the fantasticwork of our volunteers and we can shareyour stories with other branches andsupport groups in need of inspiration.

Questions about Volunteers’ Week?

Contact Liz Wigelsworth [email protected] or 020 84380749, or visit www.volunteersweek.org.uk.

Volunteers in Scotland can speak to LyndaBoyce at [email protected] or on0131 335 4074.


News and events

Further information is available on ourwebsite. Alternatively you can contact:

• England and Wales – Liz Wigelsworth,Volunteering Officer, on 020 8438 0749or [email protected]

• Northern Ireland – the developmentteam at the Resource Centre on 02890802 802 or [email protected]

• for the separate scheme in Scotland –Lynda Boyce on 0131 335 4074 [email protected]

New MS Societywebsite justweeks away

The new MS Society website is taking shapeand we’re aiming to launch in MS Week.

This month, a bit more about what it coulddo for your branch.

When the site goes live, every branch willbe plotted on a map of the UK. Visitors willbe able to navigate around the map or putin their postcode to find their local branch.They can then click through to theirbranch’s web pages.

To begin with this will just be a single pagewith essential information but, as soon asthe web editor training programme getsunderway (see page 10 of MarchTeamspirit) you’ll be able to start buildingup your area of the site and making use ofthe new features on offer.

There will be a range of tools to choosefrom, including:• e-newsletters• a branch blog• adverts for new volunteers• an events calendar

Apart from a new design, up-to-datetechnology and more flexibility, the mainbenefit will be in how the information yourbranch uploads to the site is presented.

At the moment, branches put informationon their own websites and that’s the only

place it shows. Unless someone actuallyfinds the branch website, they don’t seewhat you post.

With the new site, everything you add toyour section also goes into a central pool ofcontent. You’ll be able to tag it according to:• what it is• what it’s about• who it’s for • where it’s happening

It can then automatically display on otherrelevant pages across the website - andtarget registered website users according to where they live and what they’re interested in.

It’s all about making the information yourbranch puts on the website work for you,actively flagging it up to people who mightbe interested in it rather than putting theonus on them to find your branch. Theymight not even know that the MS Societyhas branches, but still find yours becauseyou’re offering something they want.

There will be opportunities to test the sitefrom mid-May, so please [email protected] to getinvolved.

Branchzone is also being given a completefacelift to fit into the new site design, andwill be available shortly after the newwebsite launches. We’ll give you full detailsin July Teamspirit. In the meantime you cancontinue to access Branchzone atwww.mssociety.org.uk/branchzone.


News and events

The MS SupportSummit – andwhat this meansfor your branchThe West of England has successfullylooked at new ways branches can givesupport to people affected by MS in a pilotprogramme called Developing MSSupport. Details were announced at the MSSupport Summit in Swindon on 9 March.

The following activities were trialled inbranches in the West of England as part ofthe pilot:

• developing a team of support volunteers(rather than one support officer)

• volunteers are recruited, selected andinterviewed

• a new four-day training course is given tovolunteers (instead of one day as before)

At the summit, delegates heard about thesuccess of the pilot and how positively staffand volunteers responded to this newapproach. There was initially someuncertainty at the start of the project, butmost were enthusiastic and willing to give it a try.

Following the pilot’s success, this newapproach will be gradually introduced tobranches across the rest of the UK over thenext two years. For those of you whoalready have support teams, this will buildon the approach you already have in place.

So what were the reasons fordoing this MS support pilot?• Support officers are often overloaded –

with a support team we can reach out tomore people affected by MS and sharethe load.

• A lead support volunteer meanssomebody can co-ordinate the team andkeep in touch with the wider committee.

• Sometimes people are interested inbeing a support volunteer but don’t wantto attend committee meetings – thismeans they don’t have to, and givesthem different roles to choose from.

• We wanted to give volunteers thetraining and support that this role needs.

The resultsA peer review group, containing volunteersand staff, evaluated the pilot in detail. Theyinterviewed pilot participants, and theresults were compelling:

• 96 per cent of interviewees endorsedrecruitment and selection of volunteers

• 80 per cent of those in support teamssaid they were working successfully

• 80 per cent (and 100 per cent of newvolunteers) agreed that the new trainingprovided the knowledge and skillsneeded to get started in the role.

The pilot was declared extremely successfulby the review. The group recommendedthese changes be implemented nationally.

The recommendations made by the peerreview can be found in the News section of Branchzone.


Support

What are the benefits of thisnew approach?We will be bringing this approach to otherbranches this year and next. It has manybenefits.

Having a team of supportvolunteersA team, instead of only one support officer,was very well received by volunteers withinbranches in the pilot.

Jane Lindsay, Lead Support Volunteer fromBournemouth Branch, gave a passionateand very well received talk at the summitabout why it works. It gives the volunteersmore opportunity to reach out to people – “Icouldn’t possibly do it on my own”, she said.

Bournemouth now works very closely withtheir Local Support Development Officer(LSDO) and MS National Centre. Jane saidthis was one of the best things to come outof the whole process.

The flexibility to make itwork for your region ornationFlexibility is encouraged and each regioncan create a system that works for them.

Some branches in the West of Englanddivide tasks between the different volunteers.One person looks after grants, with twoothers taking calls from people affected byMS and others doing home visits.

The lead support volunteer coordinates theteam, supports them where needed andkeeps in touch with the wider committee on

support matters. This structure enables theteam to develop new and creative ways tosupport people.

Kerry Lloyd is a volunteer Regional SupportMentor in the West Midlands who supportsthe volunteers themselves. She describedhow support volunteers now feel muchmore confident and less isolated as a result.

The trainingThe new four-day training course has beendesigned in consultation with supportvolunteers and staff and will be evaluatedon an annual basis to make sure itresponds to the changing demands andtrends facing volunteers and peopleaffected by MS today.

Sue Pym from Solihull Branch said: “Thetraining has given me more confidence. Theconfidence to say ‘I don’t know, but I knowwhere to find out.’ ”

What did people at thesummit think?Kate Mitchell, summit chair, highlighted thatsupport will always be a work in progressand that there are challenges, and changesneeded, to keep up with the needs ofpeople affected by MS today.

After the workshops she reminded us torecognise that some branches had alreadytaken a support team approach and that ithad been evaluated by staff and volunteersas the best way forward.

Pat Crossley, Support Officer at BallymoneyBranch, travelled all the way from Northern


Support

Ireland to attend the event. She summed upher feelings at the end of the day:

“I’ve been a support officer for almost thirtyyears, but today has been so exciting andrefreshing. I’ve realised I need to keeplearning and not always continue doingthings the same way. I’ve certainly beenrejuvenated today!”

This approach will bring consistent supportto people affected by MS, across the wholeUK, regardless of where they are.

What to do nextWe will be bringing this approach to otherbranches this year and next. Please passthis article on to anyone who providessupport in your branch.

When we bring the changes to your area,we’ll also provide resources and guidanceto support you.

If you would like to see the presentations,delegate pack and notes from the eventplease email [email protected] call 020 8438 0944.

If you would like to chat to somebody aboutthe changes to support work or the training,please contact Phoebe White([email protected] or 020 8243 0942)or Hayley James ([email protected] 020 8438 0751).

If you would like to be directly involved withour national work on MS support, pleaseregister your interest with Belinda Goodman([email protected] or 020 84380924).

Online librarycatalogueThe new MS Society web-based librarycatalogue is now online. The librarydatabase provides easy access to the titlesof hundreds of articles and publicationsfrom the MS Society, as well as links to keypublications and articles on MS producedby other organisations.

Search the library database atwww.mssociety.org.uk/library. Everyone canbrowse the catalogue online. You can alsoreserve items and monitor your loans bysetting up your own membership account

For details please contact the MS Societylibrarian on 020 8438 9000 or [email protected].


Support

It’s Cake Breaktime …

It’s fast approaching that time of year whenwe all get busy baking and tucking intoscrumptious cakes. On Friday 20 May 2011(or a date that suits you) help the MSSociety hold its biggest and best ever CakeBreak. This is one of our best lovedfundraising events. Encourage friends,family and other volunteers to get togetherand enjoy delicious cakes and a cuppawhilst raising money for the MS Society.

Cake Break is a fantastic fundraisingopportunity and also a great chance to raiseawareness of your branch or support groupin the local community by inviting people into enjoy tasty treats, refreshments and afriendly chat. You can choose whether themoney raised is donated to your branch orto nationally run programmes such asresearch. Simply indicate your choice whenreturning your donation.

Taking part is easy! Register for your freeCake Break host pack online atwww.mssociety.org.uk/cakebreak or call uson 0845 481 1577 (when registering pleasequote Teamspirit).

Once you’ve registered, the Cake Breakteam will send you a host pack, containingstep by step guidelines, posters, invites, agame, recipes and a Gift Aid form –everything you need to make your CakeBreak a great success!

Why not ask schools, local businesses orcommunity groups such as Rotary and

Soroptimists to support the MS Society byrunning a cake break? They can alsoregister using the contact details above.

We’re also running an exciting Cake Breakcompetition again this year with a chanceto win a top-of-the-range Kenwood foodprocessor or a hamper of seven deliciouscooking kits from The Meal Kit Co. Visitwww.mssociety.org.uk/cakebreak for termsand conditions.

Sign up for theMS Society’sGolfing Masters

Take a swing for MS with our new golfcompetition. Get together with friends toplay a round of golf at your favourite courseusing only three clubs, and raise money foryour branch.

The top ten winning teams will get thechance to play at our MS Society golf finallater in the year, as well as receivingprofessional coaching from golf pro TonyJohnstone.

All funds raised by branches or branchcontacts can either be used nationally orearmarked to branches.

For more information, contact Anne Ridgeat [email protected] or call her on0870 241 3565.


Fundraising

Tesco collections

All branches should have receivedinformation on whether or not they havebeen successful for the January – June2011 collections. If you haven’t receivedany information please email the communityfundraising administrator [email protected] or call 020 8438 0728.

If you are unable to take up a collection buthappy for us to offer it to a neighbouringbranch, please let us know as soon aspossible.

Results of the July – November 2011collections along with application forms forthe 2012 collections will be sent out shortly.

In the past, some volunteers havecontacted MS National Centre to tell us thatthey are the nominated Tesco contact fortheir branch. However, sometimes contactsstood down without letting us know,meaning some branches missed out oncollections. Tesco contact information is notcurrently centralised or updated regularlyfrom our side, either. This meansunfortunately we cannot use thisinformation when advising branches aboutTesco collections.

To ensure that every branch has an equalopportunity to participate by receiving theinformation in a fair and consistent way, wewill send the results of the July – November2011 collections and 2012 applicationforms to the chair only of each branch. Wehope that the chair will be able to swiftlypass this on, where necessary, to whoever

is the nominated Tesco contact within thebranch. If there is no chair registered on ourdatabase, the information will automaticallygo to your treasurer.

As always please ensure that all contactdetails for your branch are up to date byemailing [email protected] orcalling 020 8438 0759 with any changes.

If you have any questions or queries pleasecontact the community fundraisingadministrator at [email protected] orcall 020 8438 0728.

Recyclingscheme update

As you will know, in February the MSSociety relaunched a new and improvedrecycling scheme in partnership with TheRecycling Factory. The scheme has beenvery popular and people have been sendingin their old mobile phones, printercartridges and other electronic gadgets tobe recycled. So thank you for going greenand raising money for the MS Society at thesame time.

At the moment the recycling scheme is runas a national fundraising scheme only, somoney raised will come to MS NationalCentre to support nationwide projects andservices that assist all affected by MS.

Once the recycling scheme is firmly up andrunning nationally, we hope to extend thescheme to MS Society branches as afundraising tool.


Fundraising

In the meantime, keep recycling on behalfof national MS Society projects andservices. Here’s a reminder of how easy itis:

1 Order a freepost envelope by [email protected] or callingfreephone 0800 091 0696. Or order abundle of 50 envelopes online athttp://shop.mssociety.org.uk.

2 Drop your items into the freepostenvelope and add Gift Aid if you’d like to.

3 A donation will be made automaticallyfor all items which are recycled.

For more information on the MS Societyrecycling scheme, visit our website or [email protected].

Appeals update

During MS Week, supporters across theUK, including members, will receive afundraising appeal focussing on the MSRegister. This will outline the potentialbenefits of this exciting new project andalso explain how people with MS can takepart. The appeal will ask supporters tomake a single donation or to set up aregular gift. A selection of supporters,excluding members, will also receive asmall reminder mailing in June.

In early May, we’re also running twoappeals focussing on MS research that aimto recruit new supporters. One will be acold direct mail pack to 250,000households all over the UK. The other willbe a doordrop (unaddressed mail) to over780,000 households.

You may have seen our appeal in Novemberabout the support offered by the MS Societyhelpline and online forums. The responsewas fantastic and we’re delighted to reportthat over £200,000 has been raised.

If you have any questions about any ofthese appeals, please contact Sarah Briggsin the direct marketing team at MS NationalCentre on [email protected] or 0208438 0847 or Hazel Johnstone in thefundraising team in Scotland [email protected] or0131 335 4071.


Fundraising

Change ofmembers’ details

Please remember to inform the membershipteam of any changes in a member’s details.You can contact the team by email [email protected] or by phoneon 020 8438 0759.

We send reports to the branch membershipcontact every month. These highlight recentchanges to membership details. Pleaseread these carefully each time. If you noticethat we hold incorrect details about amember, such as an incorrect address orphone number, please contact themembership team so we can update therecord and let you know where we got thisinformation from.

Annual meetingminutes

As explained in January Teamspirit (page 7)the formal meeting you hold once a year isnow known as an annual meeting. This isbecause now that we are one legal entity,the MS Society is only permitted to haveone central AGM.

You annual meeting must be held by 31 May.

You should retain a copy of your annualmeeting minutes for your own reference andsend a copy to your LSDO, ADO or the MSSupport Groups Officer for their information.Please continue to inform the membershipteam of any committee changes, too, such

as new committee members, those whohave stepped down or a change in existingcontact details. In addition, please notifyyour LSDO or ADO.

Branchcommitteeupdates

In June the membership team will besending a list of committee members heldon our database to each branch. We will beasking branches to check and update thelist and return to the membership team.

This is so we can be sure that the detailswe hold are accurate and completely up todate – so the right volunteers receiveTeamspirit and other important information.

You can of course continue to update themembership team throughout the year byemail or telephone.

Committeehandbookprinted!

The new committee handbook, Making itwork, has now been printed and is beinggradually distributed to branches andnational support groups. Contact yourLSDO, ADO or the MS Support GroupsOfficer with any questions.


Committee admin

Unrestricted andrestricted funds

Many branches and national supportgroups have similar queries about restrictedfunds. Here are answers to your mostcommon questions.

What are restricted funds?Restricted funds can come about in twoways and, according to charity law, need tobe treated in a particular way.

1 Where the donor has specified that thedonation be used in a particular way(within the Society’s objectives). Forexample, if a donor provides a donationand requests that the branch or groupspend the funds on research orphysiotherapy. The branch or group mustonly spend the money on the thingspecified by the donor.

2 Where the MS Society has told thedonor that a donation will be spent in aparticular way. Imagine you specificallyask for donations to purchase a newminibus. A fundraiser may tell donorsthat their money will be spent on a newminibus, or perhaps puts up a sign at anevent reading “all donations raised todaywill be spent on a new minibus”. Makingthese statements means the funds mustbe restricted to that item or project.

Money coming to branches from other partsof the MS Society should normally be listedas unrestricted funds, even if it has aspecific purpose such as a support grantfor an individual. The branch will be advised

where a restriction exists on funds receivedfrom other parts of the Society.

What are unrestricted funds?Unrestricted funds are where there are norestrictions on how the funds may be used.Unrestricted donations may be spent onany activity within the MS Society’sconstitution and rules.

Can a branch choose torestrict funds?Not after they have been donated – only ifyou specify to the donor that you are raisingrestricted funds. Most branches plan orbudget what they will spend unrestrictedfunds on in the future – this is fine.Allocating money in a budget is not thesame as ‘restricted funds’ in a legal sense.

Should I choose to raiserestricted funds?Wherever possible, we recommend youraise unrestricted funds. By keeping fundsunrestricted, you have the flexibility tospend them on anything (within the MSSociety’s objectives), now and in the future.

Restricted funds are governed by charitylaw, and must be treated in a particular way.So if you are thinking about raisingrestricted funds, your committee shouldconsider, at a committee meeting, the legalobligations involved. Starting a restrictedfund may seem appealing, but can easilybecome a burden later on.


Finance

Consider a committee that has had highdemand for branch services and has spentall its unrestricted donations, leaving only alarge restricted fund for a new minibus. Thecommittee would have its hands tied,unable to fund essential branch servicesand general expenses. But if all thedonations had been unrestricted, it couldcontinue to fund areas with the most need.

A committee might also raise restrictedfunds specifically for a piece of equipment.If the appeal is very successful, you mightraise more funds than required. But theexcess funds would continue to berestricted – and could not be spent onanything else.

Keeping funds unrestricted also simplifiesyour accounting. Restricted funds requiretheir own accounting, increasing theworkload of treasurers.

How to account for restrictedfundsWhen recording your income andexpenditure, it is very important to recordwhether a transaction is restricted orunrestricted, and if restricted, whichrestricted fund it relates to (such asresearch or support grants).

On your annual accounts pro forma,branches that have raised or spentrestricted funds during the year mustcomplete the restricted funds page and give details of what each fund is for.

How do I avoid restrictingfunds?You can keep funds unrestricted by beingcareful about the words you use whenfundraising. Unless you are absolutelycertain of how you will use the funds raised,keep your appeal broad, using wordingsuch as “Please support our branch to raisefunds for new equipment and otheractivities”.

The words “and other activities” keep thefunds raised unrestricted, meaning you canfund either the new equipment or anythingelse within the Society’s objectives.

Income generated from a restricted assetAll income arising from an asset purchasedwith restricted funds is also restricted. Thisis unless the donor specifically states thatthe income can be used as unrestrictedfunds. An example is if you charge peopleto use a caravan purchased with restrictedfunds. The income from the caravan serviceis also restricted. One way to get aroundthis is to ask for a suggested donationinstead of charging.


Finance

For additional information on restrictedfunds, please see the Treasurers’Handbook, section 4.2.

For any queries relating to this article,contact Sam Botten on 020 8438 0709 orSherene Ross on 020 8438 0785, or [email protected].

External Audit

Our statutory external audit is in progressand we are currently contacting somebranches for additional informationrequested by the auditors. This is normalauditing procedure.

If you have been asked for information butnot yet sent it to the finance team, pleasedo so as soon as possible.

If you have any queries about what we’veasked you to provide, please do nothesitate to contact Sam or Sherene [email protected].

Thanks to all those who have alreadyprovided additional information.

MS Shop

Following the successful launch of the MSShop last summer, we will collect paymentsfrom your Barclays cash pooling accountsshortly for any purchases made in theonline shop.

The description on your bank statement willhave ‘MS SOC M’ at the end, and theamount will be the total amount advisedwhen the purchase was made. [email protected] with any queries.


Finance

Open meetings

Help us shape the future of the MS Societyby having your say at one of our openmeetings. You will hear about our latestresearch and activities and be able to takepart in discussions on fundraising andcampaigns. This will influence where wecommit our efforts in the future.

This is also an opportunity to meet ourtrustees and senior staff and discuss withthem what you think the issues are thataffect people living with MS.

“A great opportunity for members, staffand trustees to talk openly together” wasjust one of the positive comments frommembers who attended last year’s openmeetings.

See below for dates and locations for the2011 open meetings in England – andplease spread the word to your members.We hope to see you there!

Dates and locations • London area – Sunday 8 May, central

London NCVO

• West – Saturday 14 May at theBirmingham Metropole, West Midlands

• North – Saturday 21 May at LeylandHotel, Preston, Lancashire

• East – Saturday 11 June, Marriott Hotel,Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire

• South – Saturday 18 June at the Hilton,Maidstone, Kent

Book your place now! To book your place at any of the Englandmeetings, please complete the onlinebooking form atwww.mssociety.org.uk/news_events/events/open_meetings.html or contact theconferences team on 020 8438 0941.

Set the agendaOpen meetings will be the main placewhere members’ resolutions for the AGM inSeptember 2011 will be discussed andformed. This gives us all the chance toshare our views, right across the UK.

If you think you have a topic that could be aresolution let us know. Email Sonja Pinnellat [email protected] or phone020 8438 0862.

Become acouncil member

The England Council is recruiting to sixvacancies in Cheshire & Merseyside, EastMidlands, Kent, London, Surrey & Sussexand Hertfordshire, Essex & Bedfordshire.See page 9 for more information.


From 3 May our new Short Breaks andActivities Fund (SBA) will be available topeople affected by MS living in England.Please see page 6.


For England

Relapse SupportService pilotproject

by Kathryn Phillpott, ServiceDevelopment Officer, SussexRegion

Often people with relapsing remitting MSare not eligible for support from socialservices and have to rely on informalsupport from family and friends, which canstrain relationships. People with MS havereported that better services during arelapse or sudden deterioration would helpthem remain independent, and most saythey would like to be able to plan their careand support in advance.

We have piloted a relapse support servicein East Sussex, to better meet these needsamong local people with MS. It wasdeveloped as a partnership betweenEastbourne Branch, East Sussex AdultSocial Care, an MS specialist nurse and thelocal neuro-rehabilitation team.

The pilot in Eastbourne, EastSussex

A small group of people with MS attended aworkshop and completed a relapse supportplan, which allowed them to plan whatsupport they would need if they had arelapse or exacerbation of their MS.

Each person was given a grant by EastSussex Adult Social Care to spend on

putting their plan into effect. As relapsescan be hard to define in black and white,people were told they could spend theirbudget when they “couldn’t do today whatthey could do yesterday”. They were givensome examples of things they could spendmoney on to get them started.

The service works on the principle of self-directed support, which is at the heart ofpersonalisation. Self-directed supportmeans recognising that disabled people arethe experts in their own lives and have theright to choice about and control over theservices that support them. It is a keyaspect of personalisation, which is a way ofdelivering services based on the individualneeds of the person receiving services,rather than providing the same services toeveryone.

The evaluation

With a £10,000 research grant from the MSSociety, we were able to recruit a team fromBournemouth University to see what peoplethought about the service. They examinedhow people used the service and theimpact it had on their lives.

People spent the grant in really innovativeways, buying things such as:

• services such as cleaning and gardening,

• equipment like walking aids and ceilingfans for keeping cool

• transport, for example taxi fares

• thank you gifts for friends and family whohad helped them out


For England

The service was valued by pilotparticipants, and there was a variety ofevidence showing that it helped them feelmore in control of managing a relapse orworsening of symptoms, as well as moresecure.

One person described their grant as “a tinypot of sunshine in my pocket”. Anothercommented that the scheme was: “instillingin people an ability to have more autonomyover their lives at a time when everythingjust goes to pot.”

In addition, the pilot gathered valuableevidence of people’s needs, which can beused for influencing the future developmentof local services.

What can your branch do?

Get started by encouraging people tocomplete a relapse support plan – yourService Development Officer (SDO) will beable to send you an example. The aim is toget people to “think ahead” about whattheir needs would be if they had a relapse.

Sometimes this can be a difficult thing forpeople to do, but as one participantreported: “It has made me realise howisolated I am … but when you compare it tothe positives the plan has brought me, it faroutweighs it.”

You could also:

• work in partnership with your SDO andMS Specialist Nurse to discuss thevarious ways of supporting people tocomplete the plans, such as inworkshops, forums, or individually

• think about if your local Adult SocialCare team could fund grants like inEastbourne – start by putting this topicon a committee meeting agenda


For England

Help us promotethe MS SocietyCymru Manifesto

Over the next few weeks all four politicalparties will start their local campaigns toeither win or hold on to the constituencywhere you live. We would like to use this asan opportunity to raise awareness aboutMS and campaign about issues that areimportant to people living with MS.

In March MS Society Cymru launched itsmanifesto for the Welsh General Election.The document contains a series of asksthat we hope next Welsh Government willimplement. These include protecting MSnurses, establishing a Bill of Rights foranyone using social care, and reformingsocial care funding

Contact your AM

You can use our manifesto to make contactwith the local candidates and AssemblyMembers in your area. Are there any localconcerns that you would like your AM orprospective candidate to resolve? Forexample, if there are access problems at alocal shopping centre, or your local busservice primarily consists of older ‘highfloor’ vehicles that wheelchairs cannot use,why not make contact with the candidatesin your area and see what they say?

If you visit www.mssociety.org.uk/wales youwill find an easy to use template letterallowing you to write to your AM and

explain why you support the manifesto. Ifyou would like contact details for othercandidates please contact Joseph Carteron 029 2078 6676.

You can also download a copy of themanifesto, a resource pack full of advice onhow to meet your local candidates, asample letter and press releases on ourwebsite.


For Wales


Open Meeting inWrexham

Help us shape the future of the MS Societyby having your say at our open meeting.You will hear about our latest research andactivities and be able to take part indiscussions on fundraising and campaigns.This will influence where we commit ourefforts in the future.

This year’s open meeting in Wales will beheld at the Wrexham Ramada Plaza Hotelon Saturday 14 May 2011 at 10.30am.



Please spread the word to all yourmembers.

Book your place

To book your place, please complete theonline booking form atwww.mssociety.org.uk/news_events/events/open_meetings.html or contact the Walesoffice on 029 2078 6676 [email protected].

Set the agenda

Open meetings will be the main placewhere members’ resolutions for the AGM inSeptember 2011 will be discussed andformed. This gives us all the chance toshare our views, right across the UK.

If you think you have a topic that could be aresolution, let us know. Email Sonja Pinnellat [email protected] or phone020 8438 0862.

For Wales

Open meeting inScotland

Help us shape the future of the MS Societyby having your say at our open meeting.You will hear about our latest research andactivities and be able to take part indiscussions on fundraising and campaigns.This will influence where we commit ourefforts in the future.



This year’s open meeting in Scotland will beheld on 4 June at the Perth Concert Hall.

Please spread the word to all yourmembers.

Book your place To book your place please complete theonline booking form atwww.mssociety.org.uk/news_events/events/open_meetings.html or contact GarryKinnear on 0131 335 4073 [email protected]

Set the agendaOpen meetings will be the main placewhere members’ resolutions for the AGM in

September 2011 will be discussed andformed. This gives us all a chance to shareour views, right across the UK.

So, if you think you have a topic that couldbe a resolution let us know. Email SonjaPinnell at [email protected] orphone 020 8438 0862.

MS Week inScotland

We will be doing various things to ‘put MSon the map’ in Scotland during MS Week(23-29 May). Edinburgh is one of the pilotsites for the MS register project, and we willhave a couple of events happening in thecapital in MS Week.

During MS Week the Map MS roadshow willvisit Edinburgh, where people will be able toshare their MS stories. The roadshow willalso visit Glasgow in the run-up to MSWeek at Breahead Shopping Centre on 13May. Plus there are plans for a reception atDynamic Earth on 24 May for major donors.

Your branch pack, sent out to chairs inMarch, gives you lots of information andideas to get the most out of MS Week2011. You can download more copies atwww.mssociety.org.uk/scotland.

See page 3 for more on MS Week andputting MS on the map.


For Scotland

Self managementcourses: takingcontrol of your MS

New courses have been announced forMoray, Kilbirnie, Edderton, Evanton,Musselburgh, Dumbarton, Glenrothes,Dunfermline, Moray, Aberdeen, Stonehaven,Peterhead and Anstruther.

Full details are available on our website athttp://www.mssocietyscotland.org.uk/life_with_ms/courses/local_courses.html.

Sharing theVision road shows

How did they go?The operations team recently concluded aseries of ‘Sharing the Vision’ road showsacross Scotland visiting Edinburgh,Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness, Dundee,Borders, and Dumfries and Galloway.

It was great to see so many familiar facesbut also to welcome new members andrepresentatives from branches. Participantswere given a briefing on recruitment to theScottish Council, information on the newShort Breaks and Activities Fund, as well asbeing informed about the new MS supportvolunteer recruitment and training that willbe rolled out later this year (see page 13).

We’ve also introduced new processes andmaterials to help branches administer the

Support Grant Fund. New applicationforms, grant-giving guides for branches andother promotional materials are comingsoon, and you will be informed as soon asthey are available.

If you were unable to attend any of theevents and would like more informationplease get in touch with your AreaDevelopment Officer (ADO). They will beable to arrange a presentation on the topicscovered at the road shows.

It’s important all branches are up to datewith the current work and newdevelopments at the MS Society, so oursupport won’t end there. In the next fewmonths we will be contacting you toorganise training on grant giving as well asoffering assistance with how to get the bestout of your fundraising activities.


Please remember that if anyone asks youabout grants for short breaks, holidays oractivities this fund is there for them! Thefund is administered by the grants team atthe Office for Scotland. You can contactthem at [email protected] call 0131 335 4050. See page 6 for moredetails on the fund.


For Scotland

CommitteehandbookprintedThe new committee handbook, Making itwork, has now been printed and is beinggradually distributed to branches inScotland. Contact your ADO or LyndaBoyce with any questions (0131 335 4074or [email protected]).

MS SocietyScotland launchesManifesto

The MS Society Scotland’s Manifesto forthe Scottish elections was launched at theScottish Parliament on 17 March by MaryScanlon MSP. The event was attended bymembers of the MS Society and thefollowing MSPS:

• Elaine Smith • Jackson Carlaw • John Wilson• Tricia Marwick• Joe Fitzpatrick

The manifesto focuses on three key areas:

• the neurological standards published byNHS Quality Improvement Scotland

• ensuring that research is made a priority

• the personalisation of services thatcomes with putting people in control.

The MS Society Scotland Manifesto is nowavailable to download from our website, asis our campaign pack, which includestemplate letters to MSPs and newspapers.

There are lots of ways that branches canhelp support the manifesto. For moreinformation please contact Jo O’Neill on0131 335 4061 or [email protected].

Lothian-widebranchestablished

This branch will encompass the whole ofEdinburgh and Lothians and will providemany new opportunities to becomeinvolved in the work of the MS Society.

Previously, there were three separatebranches covering the area – EdinburghCity, Lothian (covering East and Midlothian)and West Lothian. The shift to this newstructure will simplify and minimise theadministration associated with branchactivities and ensure a consistent deliveryof support across the entire area. There willalso be a greater emphasis on formingsupport or activity groups in each area. Thishas been endorsed by all existing branchcommittee members.

For more information and to get involvedplease contact Area Development OfficerCat Myles on 0131 335 4050 or [email protected].


For Scotland


Western Isles MSnurse campaign

The Western Isles is in danger of becomingthe only health board area in Scotlandwithout an MS specialist post – but the MSSociety’s Western Isles Branch is fightingback.

An MS coordinator has been working in thearea since 2008 but with budgets being cutthis post is under threat. The branch hasbeen campaigning to retain the MSCoordinator and expand the role to ensurethat specialist nursing is provided within it.

Their campaign has had significantcoverage in the local press and issupported by local MSP Rhoda Grant. Apetition backing the campaign has animpressive 4,600 signatures. Recentlycampaigners presented the petition to thehealth board, in a meeting described as‘positive’.

MS Society Service Development ManagerAndrew Johnston has been working closelywith the branch. He explained:

“The need for NHS Boards to driveefficiency savings may mean that in someareas there will be discussions as towhether condition-specific posts such asMS specialists can be sustained. This hasbeen most apparent in Western Isles wherethe three year joint funding agreement forthe MS coordinator post is coming to anend. In November 2010, we heard that theBoard would be considering a range ofoptions including moving to a general

neurological nurse post.”

Since taking up post in 2008 the MScoordinator has been doing valuable workmapping the extent of MS in the WesternIsles and providing support to otherprofessionals involved in the care of peoplewith MS.

It had been agreed with the health boardthat the MS coordinator’s role wouldexpand to include vital direct support. Nowthat other options are being considered,this specialist MS service may not beallowed to develop.

Andrew Johnston said: “We need this postto be secure and afforded the opportunityto develop. Evidence suggests that MSspecialists, particularly MS nurses, can helpcut down on GP referrals, speed up hospitaldischarge and prevent admission tohospital, as well as providing high qualityadvice to people with MS, their families,and other professionals. And because theWestern Isles is so isolated from thespecialist MS neurological centre inGlasgow, there is extra cause to supportthe continuation of an MS specialist post.”Keep an eye on our website for the latestnews on the campaign.

Scottish Council

Thinking of applying to join our Council?The closing date for applications is 29 April.Please see page 9 for more information andcontact details.

For Scotland

Dates for yourdiary 2011

These events are for you and yourmembers, so please do support them andcome along – all are welcome!

Family Information and Fun Day7 May, 11.00 – 3.00Dundonald Ice Bowl, Belfast

MS Week Reception at ParliamentBuildings – All welcome23 May Long Gallery Parliament Buildings,Stormont

Information Day – 18 JuneRole of the consultant neurologist andbenefits of neuro-physiotherapy10.30 – 3.00Craigavon Civic Centre

Fun Day and BBQ – 25 June 11.00 – 3.00MS Society Resource Centre, Belfast

Information Day – 3 SeptemberRole of the consultant neurologist andbenefits of neuro-physiotherapy10.30 – 3.00MS Society Resource Centre, Belfast

Information Day – 8 October Role of the consultant neurologist andbenefits of neuro-physiotherapy10.30 – 3.00Dunsilly Hotel, Ballymena

MS Society NI Gala Ball ‘Step intoChristmas’ – 26 November 9.00 – late!Ramada Hotel, Shaws Bridge Belfast

Young People in Focus – 15 December 6.30 – 8.30MS Society NI Resource Centre, Belfast

If you are interested in attending any ofthese events please contact Mark Hatte on028 9080 2802 or [email protected] further information.

Northern Irelandfundraisingevents flyer

Our 2011 events leaflet is now available,containing dates for all our fundraisingevents and activities. It is not an exhaustivelisting and we will add new events as theyear progresses, but it gives you dates andinformation for events already planned.

Please bear in mind that if your branch isstruggling to come up with a new event oractivity or of you have a gap in yourcalendar, you can encourage members toparticipate in these events. There really issomething for everyone. They can take partand raise funds for your branch – a hassle-free way to fundraise!

The leaflets are being distributed with the NImagazine but if you would like some moreto distribute locally, please give us a call on028 9080 2802.


Northern Ireland

MS SocietyNorthern IrelandManifesto

The MS Society Northern Ireland iscommitted to working with government andpolicy makers to ensure that the callscontained in our manifesto are acted upon.

People with MS deserve the right to a fulllife. The three calls in the manifesto are:

• We are calling on the Northern IrelandExecutive to commission vital research toestablish why Northern Ireland has sucha high rate of MS and to develop aregional strategy to assist the 4,000people diagnosed with MS, their carersand families.

• We are calling on the Northern IrelandExecutive to provide investment tosupport the provision of neuro-physiotherapy for people diagnosed withMS to enable them to live a full life.

• We are calling on the Northern IrelandExecutive to ensure there is access tothe right drugs and treatments and toprovide a range of respite care options.

Support the Manifesto

Everybody can do something to support themanifesto. To find out more contact us on028 9080 2802.

Families in Focusprogramme 2011

In the last edition of Teamspirit weannounced the Families in Focus programme2011, a project that focuses on how familieswith children are affected by MS.

We are delighted to announce that theprogramme will be launched on Saturday 7May with a Family Information and Fun Dayat Dundonald Ice Bowl. There will be amorning information session followed bylunch, and in the afternoon families willhave access to all the facilities atDundonald including iceskating, ten pinbowling, a children’s adventure playgroundand crazy golf.

Other events will include a Family Fun Dayon Saturday 25 June at the MS SocietyResource Centre, Belfast, a children’sresidential weekend in August at the ShareCentre in Lisnaskea, a family residentialweekend and family counselling provision.

Funding for the project has been securedfrom Lloyds TSB Foundation for NI andUlster Garden Villages, with further fundingapplications pending.

This is a really exciting project and we arecompiling a list of people who would like totake part. Please do let members knowabout the project and ask interestedfamilies to contact us on 028 9080 2802.


Northern Ireland

Open meeting inTemplepatrick

The Northern Ireland open meeting tookplace at the Hilton Templepatrick onSaturday 16 April 2011. Look out for around-up in the next edition of Teamspirit.

New corporatepartnerships

The fundraising team is delighted toannounce two new corporate partnershipsfor the MS Society Northern Ireland. Wehave teamed up with Hughes Insurance fora three-year partnership and have beennominated as charity of the year by the BarLibrary Northern Ireland for 2011.

Hughes Insurance is Northern Ireland’slargest independent insurance broker andthis is a partnership with both the MSSociety and Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Tom Mallon, Fundraising Manager,commented: “This is a major corporatepartnership and we are delighted thatValerie and her team at Hughes Insurancehave chosen to support the MS Society atthis level. The funds raised will be used tosupport our work throughout NorthernIreland.”

Our partnership with the Bar LibraryNorthern Ireland is also fantastic news.They raise a significant amount for local

charities. We will be working closely withthe Bar Library Charity Committeethroughout the year. Funds from the BarLibrary partnership will be used forimportant projects like our Family in Focusproject in 2012 and beyond.

We are confident that these and othercorporate partnerships will not only raisefunds but also raise awareness of MSthroughout Northern Ireland.

If you know of a company that we couldapproach about a charity partnership,please get in touch with our fundraisingteam on 028 9080 2802.

Ladies whoLunch

Ladies, get the handbags out and thegladrags on for an afternoon of fashion andfun – and fantastic food of course! Join usfor our ‘Ladies who Lunch’ event at MaloneGolf Club, Belfast on Saturday 21 May.

Guests will enjoy a drinks reception from12pm followed by a fabulous lunch with acomplimentary glass of wine. Lucy Smyth,fashion re-stylist, will be giving frugalfashionistas tips on how to re-fit, re-sculptand restyle your wardrobe. Elvis will alsomake an appearance in the guise of Elvisimpersonator Andy Rodgers.

Tickets for the event are now available andcost £40. To reserve your tickets and atable please call us on 028 9080 2802.


Northern Ireland


ClassifiedsPlease share these opportunities withpeople with MS and carers in your ares.

Appleby, CumbriaHambleton and Richmondshire Branch hasa six-person caravan near Appleby,Cumbria. One double, one twin, a double inthe lounge, a shower and all mod cons.Wheelchair adapted access via ramp andveranda. The site has stunning views, with arestaurant, outdoor pool, shop, laundry andlots for children to do. Available April toOctober – dates still available. From £100 to£250. For further information or availabilitycontact John and Doris Watson on 01677424455 or [email protected].

Wheelchair adapted vehicleRed Seat Terra 903cc available free ofcharge, first registered in March 1990. Lowmileage and excellent condition. Windowson both sides at the rear. Includesaluminium attached ramp that folds upwhen not in use, four sets of safety belts tosecure the wheelchair, plus a seat belt forthe person in the wheelchair. Due tochanging circumstances the vehicle is nolonger of use to the owner and he wouldlike the vehicle to go to someone with MSthat could use it. He is based in the Londonarea. For more information please contactAlfie Johnstone on 020 8316 0292.

Amberwood Holiday LodgeWest Herts Branch has a holiday lodge atShorefield Holiday Village, near Lymington,Hampshire, for people with MS, familiesand carers. The chalet has a masterbedroom with en suite shower room, a twinbedded room, bathroom, and lounge/kitchen area with double fold-out sofa bed.An electric wheelchair and scooter areprovided. Further details from Ken Gordonon 01442 243023 or by [email protected].

LisnaskeaMS Society Northern Ireland has two fullyaccessible chalets available for hire at theSHARE village in Lisnaskea. The cost is£150 per week and includes a SHAREfitness leisure pass. Bookings are taken ona first come, first served basis. To book aholiday please contact Mark on 028 90802802 or [email protected].

SpainDetached two bedroom bungalow inFuerteventura, Canary Islands, Spain.Suitable for people with limited mobility,with ramped access and wide corridors.Spacious lounge/ diner, separate, modernkitchen, patio and gardens. On leveldevelopment with easy access to nearbysupermarket. From £195/ week for 4 people.For more see www.canariesvilla.co.uk orcontact Graham and Alison Adgie on 0153973 1835 or [email protected].

Mention of advertisement by the MS Society of products or services is not anendorsement by the MS Society, its volunteers or staff.

Teamspirit directory

MS Society

MS National Centre

372 Edgware Road

London

NW2 6ND

020 8438 0700

MS Society Cymru

Temple Court

Cathedral Road

Cardiff

CF11 9HA

02920 786 676

MS Society Northern

Ireland

The Resource Centre

34 Annadale Avenue

Belfast

BT7 3JJ

02890 802 802

MS Society Scotland

National Office

Ratho Park

88 Glasgow Road

Ratho Station

Newbridge

EH28 8PP

0131 335 4050

Support groups

There are support group for Jewish

people, lesbians and gay men,

Afro-Caribbean people, Asian

people, and former and serving

members of the armed forces.

020 8438 0856

[email protected]

Find us online

www.mssociety.org.uk

www.mssociety.org.uk/wales

www.mssocietyni.org.uk

www.mssocietyscotland.org.uk

www.facebook.com/mssociety

www.twitter.com/mssocietyuk

www.youngms.org.uk

www.facebook.com/childrenwithMS

Grants

020 8438 0700

[email protected]

(England, Wales, Northern Ireland)

0131 335 4050

enquiries@mssocietyscotland.

org.uk (Scotland)

National MS Helpline

0808 800 8000

MS Information Line

020 8438 0799

Respite Care Enquiry

Line

020 8438 0925

Membership

020 8438 0759

Local Support Team

020 8438 0924

Events Hotline

0870 241 3565

Teamspirit

MS National Centre

372 Edgware Road

Cricklewood, London

NW2 6ND

020 8438 0741

[email protected]

www.mssociety.org.uk

welcome to the may edition of teamspirit. contents · 2019-07-11 · wales, northern ireland and...

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