Dear Reader,
Last month we invited people to take part in our organisational review. The purpose of the review is to look at the work of the Society and how we can continue to meet the needs of people with MS in light of current financial challenges. We would like to thank everyone who took part and offered their views on the work of MS Ireland. Your input will help to direct the organization into the future.
Since last month we have collated much of the data we received from people with MS, family members, staff, voluntary Branches, board members and HSE officials. One of the key pieces of work was looking at the priority work areas of MS Ireland, as decided by people with MS and their families. These four areas were identified as most important:
Key Supports – individual and family work e.g. casework, Getting The Balance Right, information days, social activities, welfare, activities of daily living etc
Advocacy – individual and collective advocacy to help people access appropriate services, resources and entitlements at a local and national level
Research – the distribution of information about research going on around the world and our role in funding projects
Information – providing accurate, up-to-date and timely information to various groups e.g. people with MS, health professionals, employers etc
If you would like to read more about some of the findings and the process of the review, click here.
Our priority now is to look at how we can best shape ourselves to deliver these key activities for people with MS. This will involve an in-depth look at our finances, structures, and resources. This work will happen over the summer. We look forward to updating you again and developing MS Ireland into the future.
Anne Winslow
Chief Executive