Our Vision and Mission
The MS Society is at an important stage in its development. It has achieved a great deal since its foundation in 1953, and has the potential to deliver much more in the future. During 2007 the Society has consulted extensively about the challenges of the next five to ten years.
This strategy builds on our continuing work to determine what is important to people with or affected by MS, and is the distillation of contributions from members of the Society, researchers, experts in health and social care, and the Society’s volunteers and staff.
This strategy is directed to meet the hopes and aspirations of people with or directly affected by MS.
Mission and ambition
The consultation process did not show any reason to change the MS Society’s mission, which remains:
“To enable everyone affected by MS to live life to their full potential and secure the care and support they need, until we ultimately find a cure.”
As a result of our consultation, we have a clear new key ambition for the MS Society:
“to beat MS”
What people with MS told us
Beating MS requires action in every area of the Society’s work. We have listened to what people affected by MS from across the UK told us in the consultation process.
People with MS:
- showed continuing strong support for research, and they want the MS Society to do more
- want information about MS and related issues when and how it suits them
- expect us keep building on our successful support and care services.
One of the most telling statements made by people with MS is that they want their Society to ‘get loud’.
We have therefore adjusted our aims and objectives. Over the next five years we will increase our research effort, maintain the high standards of the information that we provide, enhance our support for people with MS, their families and carers, and we will exert more pressure to raise standards of care for people with MS.
In addition we will strive to ensure that the MS Society leads the agenda on the issues that people with MS, their families, friends and carers have told us are important to them.
The MS Society works for all people affected by MS – the individual with MS, and others such their family, friends and carers.
The Society’s new aims
So, to beat MS over the next five years our aims across the UK will be to:
Research
“Fund and promote research into finding the cause of and cure for MS, and improving care and services for people affected by MS”
Information
“Ensure that the MS Society produces up-to-date, accurate and accessible information on MS issues, tailored to meet the needs of people affected by MS”
Support
“Provide support to all people affected by MS”
Raising Standards of Care
“Raise standards of care for all people living with MS”
Leading the MS Agenda
“Work to increase awareness of the devastating impact of MS on people’s lives, influence decision-makers, and inform about the help, support and services the MS Society can provide”
