Posted on 01 April 2020 by Charity Car

In a very odd month for everyone, the Charity Car team debated whether it was appropriate to have a Partner of the Month. But seeing the messages from all our wonderful charity partners – most having to work harder than ever right now to support their communities – we knew it was the right thing to do – vital charitable work goes on. Our Partner of the Month for April is MS Trust and this charity is the perfect example of a cause that needs your support more than ever…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition which causes damage to the nerves in your brain and spinal cord (the central nervous system). People with MS are included in the ‘at-risk’ group with regards to COVID-19, because the infection can aggravate MS symptoms on top of its own symptoms, and make them more ill.

MS Trust believes nobody should have to manage MS alone. Their award-winning service provides trusted information, to help people with MS live the best life possible. Practical, reliable, evidence-based information is provided online, in print and in video, covering a whole range of topics, from lifestyle tips and MS symptoms; explaining MS to kids, the drugs available and treatments.

While this information has always been vital, the charity is experiencing its busiest time ever. Their guidance published online on MS and COVID-19 has already been viewed 150,000 times within a few weeks. A small enquiry team usually rotates team members on front-line calls, but the volume of enquiries has made this impossible, and the whole team has been working flat out to give much needed guidance.

“My immune system has been compromised – I may not be able to fight the coronavirus as easily or at all. Having somewhere to go for evidence-based information is super important right now - both for me and to alleviate unnecessary pressure on the NHS.” - 25 year old MS patient, March 2020.

Obviously it’s not only during this time of Coronavirus that MS Trust will need your support. Car donations to this charity will not only help sustain this vital information service throughout the year, but funds are also needed for the other areas of MS Trust’s work…

It’s estimated that 130,000 people in the UK have MS with 100 more people diagnosed every week. Right now, around 103,688 of those people live in areas where there are not enough MS nurses to look after everyone. MS Trust thinks that's simply not right, so they're working to train and establish more MS nurses to care for people in areas where they don’t get support. Donations, including your old cars, will make this vital work happen.

Another focus for the charity this year is the mental health aspect of MS. The condition brings fatigue and a higher risk of depression, so the charity aims to equip people to manage their mental health as well as their physical health.

MS can’t be cured yet. But MS Trust is there for people from the moment of diagnosis and every day after - making sure a life with MS isn't a life defined by MS. Your support can help with the charity’s vital work during this particularly difficult time and into the future.

Our latest news on the Charity Car service available during the Coronavirus can be reviewed here. 

Stay safe everyone. 

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