The aim of the Salisbury & District MS group is to make contact with and support people in our area who have Multiple Sclerosis, their families and carers and anyone affected by the condition.
The group currently has about 140 people on our contact list, of whom only a limited number are actively involved and able to attend events. The group supports and helps local people with MS with social activities, information sharing, including a regular newsletter, and financial support in certain circumstances. The group is working in partnership with an emerging MS support group in Devizes.
We co-ordinate street collections twice a year and current donations are going to the national STOP MS appeal, where all the income raised is used for clinical research into MS.
MS affects a wide range of people across the age spectrum and it's impact will vary for each individual. This groups provides an invaluable contact point for anyone with MS to help understand and better manage their condition.
The Salisbury & District MS group co-ordinates and hosts several regular activities locally for people with MS, their carers, friends and families. The group has close professional links with the NHS Specialist Nurse Practitioner in the Salisbury area who supports and participates in activities, as well as offering specific support and input into the group's thinking and development.
The group hosts social activities including monthly lunches at venues in and around Salisbury and a monthly coffee and chat meet-up. We also run a programme of ad hoc activities, including an annual Focus Day in the spring about living with MS. Other recent activities have been a Quiz Evening, Christmas Meal and a Food Demonstration Workshop.
The group volunteers co-ordinate and host a monthly drop-in for people with MS at a local medical practice which offers support, information, guidance, and social contact for those attending.
The Salisbury MS group commissions a bespoke service from the Citizen's Advice Bureau (CAB) to work on our behalf to assist people with MS with benefit claims, benefit appeals and form filling. The group is pleased that this targeted contract regularly results in significant positive financial impact for those who contact the service.