The Asian MS support group is our national support group for people affected by MS from the Asian community.

Our group's aims are:

• To raise awareness and dispel ignorance of MS within the Asian community
  
• To provide a telephone support service for Asians with MS, their carers, friends and family
  
• To focus on putting fun and dignity back into the lives of Asians with MS and their carers
  
  We also:
  
  
• Raise funds for people affected by MS from the Asian community
  
• Deliver information in different languages
  
• Offer access to an interpreting service
  
• Run an online discussion board
  
• Provide mini language sites.

Become a member of Asian MS

Asian MS are keen to welcome new members to bring new ideas to the group and to keep Asian MS up-to-date and relevant. As a member of Asian MS, you can attend our meetings and have a role in influencing services provided for Asian people with MS. You can have a voice and add to our campaigning strength at local and national level. You can choose to receive information or to meet other people. If you would like to become a member you can join online, please fill in the application form below and email it to asianms@mssociety.org.uk Membership is free and we hope to meet you at our next event for members, which is on 5th March 2010.


Asian MS membership application form (27 kb)
 

Volunteer with Asian MS

If you would like to volunteer for us please complete the form below and email it to asianms@mssociety.org.uk  You can choose how involved you would like to be. We are a dedicated and diverse group of volunteers on the committee and we would welcome new faces, so you can shape what we do in the future!

Asian MS volunteer form (30 kb)
 

Introducing the Asian MS Committee

Here's a brief introduction to the Asian MS committee:

Vinnie Kochhar - Chairman, Asian MS support group
Vinnie worked as a solicitor for ten years and started volunteering in 2002 with the MS Society Helpline. She joined Asian MS in 2004 as a committee member. She became chairperson of Asian MS in 2009. Vinnie has members of her family who have MS.

Shiv Sharma - Treasurer, Asian MS support group,
Shiv was diagnosed with relapsing remitting MS in 2002. Despite this diagnosis and three relapses over the last five years, he still manages to have a full time job together with his voluntary work for the MS Society, mainly with Asian MS.

Sanjay Chadha - Committee Member, Asian MS support group
Sanjay founded the group with Gurjit Sihota in 1997 with the aim of trying to raise awareness of MS within the Asian community. He initially received a diagnosis of relapsing remitting MS, and is now in a wheelchair.

Saher Usmani - MS Support Group Officer, based at MSNC
Saher works for the Asian MS support group, developing and promoting Asian MS and ensuring the MS Society’s strategy, initiatives and policies reach out to people affected by MS in the Asian community across the UK.

Gurjit Sihota - Co-founder, Asian MS support group
Gurjit co-founded the Support group in 1997 with Sanjay Chadha. She lived in Bradford for many years and has now moved to Sutton Coldfield. She has secondary progressive MS, but is mobile for most of the time. You can watch a video interview with Gurjit below.

 

Video interview with Gurjit Sihota

Click on the player above to watch an interview with Gurjit Sihota about Asian MS.  

How to contact us

To get in touch with the Asian MS support group, please use one of the options below.

• Call 0208 438 0856 - Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9am-5pm
  
• Send an e-mail to asian@mssociety.org.uk
  
• Write to:
  
  Asian MS c/o
  MS Society, MS National Centre
  372 Edgware Road,
  London NW2 6ND