The Soldiers’ Charity has recently awarded Mutual Support a grant of £10,000 to go towards supporting the Army family with respite breaks.
Mutual Support is a unique National MS Armed Forces Support Group and is part of the MS Society. It operates a service which provides remote support to its members and delivers a bi-annual wellbeing, support and respite weekend.
Mutual Support’s mission is to:
• Enhance and improve the quality of life of all military personnel, veterans, their families and carers affected by MS, through support, information and advocacy.
• To provide a safe environment for members of the military family affected by MS to be able to share their experiences and talk about the impact MS has had on their lives.
• To educate and provide information to the military, the public and healthcare professionals to help support those affected by MS.
Mutual Support was formed as a self-help military group back in the early 1990’s by members of the RAF and Royal Navy who had been diagnosed with MS. It was set-up as an alternative to civilian MS branches, which while very good, could not cope with the geographical needs of the Armed Forces.
MS is unpredictable and people’s needs vary over time. Mutual Support’s team is always at the end of the phone if those affected need someone to talk to. Mutual Support works to nationally-agreed standards set by the MS Society.
Heather Smith, Lead Benefit Volunteer, says “It is on behalf of the members of Mutual Support that we write to offer our sincere thanks to ABF The Soldiers’ Charity for your continued support of the work we do for those still serving, the veterans and the spouses of those living with MS. Your recent donation will help us deliver our Support and Respite weekends that we offer to our Army members. Our sincere thanks once again to you and your team who have helped make this grant possible.”