UK: MS society launch major £100m fundraising drive

C

Cinders66

Senior Member (Voting Rights)
From MS society Facebook

“It’s finally here! Today we’re launching our most ambitious appeal ever. You’ll see people with MS on TV and in print, shouting loudly that we’re ready to stop MS. We’re aiming to raise £100 million. Leading researchers believe that we could have treatments that work for everyone in late stage clinical trials by 2025. Together, we can see a future where nobody need worry about their MS getting worse. Find out more: https://mssoc.uk/2OtYN55”


Stop MS: we launch our biggest fundraising appeal
Tuesday 8 October 2019
Today we’ve publicly launched our biggest fundraising appeal ever. Our Stop MS Appeal aims to raise £100 million over a ten year period to accelerate new research and stop MS.
Treatments to stop MS are within our grasp
Leading scientists agree MS could be stopped, with treatments for everyone in late stage trials by 2025.

This revelation follows a series of scientific discoveries. These have led research leaders to believe treatments that stop disability progression are within our grasp.

The discoveries include last week’s breakthrough news that the diabetes drug metformin can improve myelin repair in rats. Professor Robin Franklin, from the MS Society Centre for Myelin Repair, said it was "one of the most significant advances in myelin repair therapies ever."

Major advertising campaign
For the next 12 weeks we’ll be running a major advertising campaign, featuring six people living with MS and their families.

It includes a TV advert featuring people with MS singing a version of “Don’t Stop” by Fleetwood Mac. You'll be able to see the advert on Channel 4, Dave, Drama and 4Seven. You'll also see the Appeal in newspapers, on billboards and online.

Our TV advert premieres on Channel 4 on Thursday 10 October at 8.50pm, during The Dog House.

Watch our TV advert now
“Right now I feel the future is filled with hope”
Donna Nahal, 34, lives in Birmingham and appears in our advert. She was diagnosed with relapsing MS while studying at Sixth Form College.

Donna says:

“I wanted to get involved with Stop MS to help people understand how the condition can affect lives”

“When you’re told you have MS it’s very easy to give up, but we are people fighting a battle every day. And we have to continue to fight. Right now I feel the future is filled with hope, and together we can stop MS.”

Our Chief executive Nick Moberly says:

“The worldwide MS community is coming together to help us achieve our ambitious goal to stop MS. But we need to act now, because people with MS can’t wait.”

What the experts are saying:
"This is the most significant and exciting time we have ever seen in the treatment of neurological conditions." Professor Alan Thompson, Chair at the International Progressive MS Alliance.

"The Stop MS Appeal will bring immense hope to millions of people affected by MS. For a national charity and professionals like myself to come out and say we believe it can be stopped, we must be able to deliver on that promise." Professor Anna Williams, Professor of Regenerative Neurology.

"Over the past 20 years MS research has led to major advances in treatment development. We’re in a unique position now to build on that success. We believe we can stop MS." Professor Jeremy Chataway, MS researcher and Consultant Neurologist.
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They’ve made a really powerful advert here to support the fundraising effort


it’s powerful because it contrasts the suffering of today with the hope transformative research can bring and it shows young /old, lesser and the more severe with wheelchairs, difficult bed physio, mri scans all used to show what MS involves.
 
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If I’m ever asked - by taxi drivers, people in cafes, shops etc I say ME is similar to MS but unlike MS there isn’t any medication for it.

I think this and the ad campaign about arthritis will be beneficial for chronic illnesses generally in raising public awareness. I hope they get an increase in donations.
 
NelliePledge said:
If I’m ever asked - by taxi drivers, people in cafes, shops etc I say ME is similar to MS but unlike MS there isn’t any medication for it.

I think this and the ad campaign about arthritis will be beneficial for chronic illnesses generally in raising public awareness. I hope they get an increase in donations.
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I’m happy that they are so “up there” with resources and hope but one of my “hopes” for ME given our own research investment is low used to be that “fatigue” research in other illness might benefit us, however with MS especially, the fatigue stuff seems still left often to “management “ and the focus is more stopping or reversing the illness. This is understandable and fabulous from their perspective but it means the money they get will possibly not do research of direct benefit to us.
Maybe there will be some indirect benefit from generally learning more about inflammation, neurological function, mitochondrial function etc, and so yes if it can get money from the public that otherwise would have gone on chocolate and game boys or whatever, it will overall increase medical knowledge, so a positive. And yes highlighting the existence and diversity of chronic illness to the public is good. We need our own campaigns though.
 
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I don't personally like the ad. video. It tells practically nothing and has ad agency feel to it rather than patient led feel. The patients have no real voice. But I guess others will respond better than I do - each to their own.

I wish them well with the campaign. MS may be ahead of us in the sense of having better diagnostic testing and some treatments that slow early damage, but the worst form of MS is horrible, degenerative, and has no treatments.
 
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