Self-help is our way of action
MSNTC News
CharityWise - a new resource for Centres
CharityWise is a new set of learning materials from the Open University (OU), designed to provide free, flexible resources for training and development for those working in the voluntary sector. CharityWise is aimed at trustees and committee members, managers, trainers and advisers in the voluntary sector. The Swindon MS Therapy Centre has helped the OU to develop these materials so they should be useful for other Centres.
The learning materials are available online at www.open.ac.uk/blogs/CharityWise. CharityWise can help you meet the National Occupational Standards for Trustees and the site includes links to other free online materials and sources of information and support.
2011 AGM Talk: "Databases - Using them to study MS in the UK"
MSNTC Open Meeting in Rotherham
The latest MSNTC Open Meeting took place on Sunday 5th September 2010 at the South Yorkshire MS Therapy Centre in Rotherham. It was attended by 28 people representing 11 Therapy Centres. The prize for the longest journey to the meeting must undoubtedly be awarded to James Pratts from the Gibraltar MS Therapy Centre, which we are pleased to welcome as the newest member of MSNTC.
One of the highlights of an interesting and successful meeting was the discussion by Lynne Foster, Centre Manager of the Rotherham MS Therapy Centre, and Harry Smith, Vice-Chair of the Rotherham and Sheffield branch of the MS Society, on the ways that their organisations are working together to provide a 'One Stop Shop' for people in South Yorkshire who are affected by MS.
The new MSNTC database is now being piloted in four Centres. The initial feedback on the database from Jackie Wray (Swindon) and Martin Slade (Huntingdon) was very positive. Not only has the database been produced on time and on budget, it also seems to be successfully meeting the needs of the end users.
MSNTC would like to thank Lynne Foster, Judy Jones and Julia Conlan-Graves for making everyone welcome and all their hard work in hosting a successful meeting at the South Yorkshire Centre.
MSNTC Annual General Meeting 2010
More than 50 people attended MSNTC's 2010 AGM & National Conference on 16 May 2010 at MK Snap, Milton Keynes. They included MSNTC's patron, Roger Jefcoate CBE and his wife Jean, and representatives from 19 member Centres. They were joined by delegates from the MS Society, the MS Resource Centre and the MS Trust and these organisations also had display stands at the meeting. Medicotech Ltd exhibited a range of exercise equipment designed for wheelchair users, including the THERA-Trainer and BALANCE-Trainer, which are suitable for professional and private use. MSNTC is grateful to Medicotech Ltd for providing funding for the delicious lunch enjoyed by the delegates.
The AGM was followed by two scientific presentations. Dr Glenys Bloomfield (MSNTC Trustee) gave a talk on 'Understanding Clinical Trials' and Dr George Gveric (Imperial College, London) discussed the work of the MS Tissue Bank. There was also a lively and productive discussion session which covered a number of topics raised by the attendees, including GiftAid and training for oxygen treatment.
The next MSNTC AGM & National Conference will be held on 15 May 2011 in Bristol.
Open Meeting at Huntingdon
An MSNTC Open Meeting (pictured) was held at the Huntingdon, Peterborough and Cambridge (HPC) MS Therapy Centre on 18 October 2009. Representatives from 12 Therapy Centres were joined by all of the MSNTC trustees, staff and National Trainers together with Stewart Long and Stuart Hornsby from the MS Society and Alistair Purser from MIND.
Collaboration between MSNTC and the MS Society
The two largest societies in the field of MS are the MS Society (with approximately 40,000 members) and the Therapy Centres who are part of MSNTC (with approximately 12,000 members). Attendees at the Open Meeting heard about recent new collaborative developments between these two charities.
In October the MS Society and MSNTC issued a statement affirming their joint wish to work together at national, regional and local levels. You can find the full MSNTC/MS Society joint statement here.
Under this new initiative, the two charities will look at the ways in which a sample of local MS Therapy Centres and MS Society branches are already working together to improve the quality and range of services available to members of both organisations. It will identify not only the 'success factors' but also those obstacles that have hindered co-operation. The aim is to define a set of criteria which will help MS Therapy Centres and MS Society Branches to improve their working relationships and provide more coordinated help for the people that both organisations exist to serve.
Recent Newsletters
- Download Newsletter (Spring 2011)
- Download Newsletter (Autumn 2010)
- Download Newsletter (Spring 2010)
- Download Newsletter (Winter 2009)
- Download Newsletter (Summer 2009)
- Download Newsletter (Winter 2008/2009)
