This year has been huge in the history of the MS Trust. We have been celebrating our 30th birthday. The year has been special in so many ways and it’s been an honour to be in the hot seat during this milestone in the MS Trust’s history. It’s also a great reminder for the whole MS community that we’ve now been making sense of MS for 30 years! I like to think the MS Trust is big enough to make a difference, yet still small enough to care.
As I look back across this special year, I have been crunching the numbers on how we have been able to support literally thousands of people living with MS over the years. So, what does that look like? I have been delving into our files, and the statistics are pretty impressive.
One big number is 991,279. That’s the number of booklets and publications we have sent out since we first started. That’s just huge. And because the vacuum of information was the reason that the MS Trust was first created by Jill and Chris in 1993, it’s a number we are all very, very proud of.
So many people have told me how they rely on our free, professional helpline. As of December 2023, we have been able to help 58,728 people with their questions about MS, which is just remarkable.
Did you know that the MS Trust is the only MS charity placing additional MS nurses into the NHS? It’s one of the things we do that nobody else does. Our magic number is 10 – that’s the number of MS nurses we have delivered and paid for in some of the areas of greatest unmet need across the country. Those nurse positions wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the MS Trust, meaning even more people with MS would be without the vital support they need. From the first additional MS nurse in Leicester to our most recent appointment in Plymouth, it’s a track record to be proud of. And as we don’t receive a penny from the Government and the NHS, every single MS nurse has been paid for through the generosity of our supporters.
However while we have made a real difference, the fact remains that 130 new people are being diagnosed with MS every single week, and there are now a record 220,000 people on the neurology waiting list. The MS Trust is in greater demand than ever before.
As I hand over the reins to a new CEO in early 2024, I have been contemplating what the next 30 years will have in store. My predictions are:
• More MS Nurses (there remains a shortage of 149 across the country)
• Even more advanced MS champions to support the 40,000 people living with advanced MS
• A guarantee that our free and professional helpline will always be there for you
• And while the hunt for the cure for MS goes on, we know that MS doesn’t stop, so neither will we. Which means even more of the best booklets and online information in the MS sector.
David Martin, December 2023.
