MSRC News

We at the Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre would like to keep you informed of what we are doing, what is being done for us, and in all honesty, how we are doing.

These pages will let you know a little about us, and what we are doing as an organisation. 

Pages for MSRC News from previous years can be accessed below:

• MSRC News Archive 2008
• MSRC News Archive 2009
• MSRC News Archive 2010  

Alastair Hignell is renowned as a rugby international for England, a county cricketer and a much-loved broadcaster. Forced to retire from his playing careers at an early age due to injury, and then from his broadcasting career when his struggle with MS became too overwhelming, he has nonetheless lived life to the full.

Higgy tells his inspirational story with warmth and humour – from growing up as a bright and very competitive young lad, on to his successful Cambridge university days where he was the first person to captain both the rugby and cricket first teams, through his playing careers against and alongside some of the all-time greats in both sports, and a prominent broadcasting career that took him around the world to cover some of the biggest sporting events and characters.

All this success was brought into sharp relief by his diagnosis with MS, which eventually forced his retirement from broadcasting but also prompted him to become one of the leading campaigners for those suffering from the disease.

Higgy's has been a tough journey, and his story is a fascinating example of strength and determination when faced with adversity. Appealing to a broad range of sports fans, this story is about setbacks and triumphs, about making the shift from the athletic struggles of sport to the struggle of performing everyday tasks. It's the genuine and emotional story of how a highly successful sportsman faced up to a devastating illness and became one of the most inspiring personalities of our age.

About the Author
Alastair Hignell has had three outstanding careers in sport: as an England rugby player, a talented county cricketer and a sports broadcaster for the BBC and ITV. He has been a teacher and television presenter as well as patron for the national Multiple Sclerosis charity, The Multiple Sclerosis Rescource Centre (MSRC).

Author Alastair Hignell
Pub Date September 2011
ISBN9781408129241
Format Hardback
Dimensions234x153mm
Extent320 pages
Illustrations4-colour, 16-page plate section

Retailers

Buy it at Amazon through buy.at/msrc and raise much needed funds for MSRC.

A & C Black - http://www.acblack.co.uk/sport/Higgy/Alastair-Hignell/books/details/9781408129241

MSRC have released a further 3 titles in their MS Choices range:

What is MS?

Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN)

MS Therapy Centres (UK & Ireland)

To download these new leaflets please visit the MSRC Choices page - http://tinyurl.com/MSRC-Choices

Green Day 25th May 2011

Many people incorporated a Green theme into their day to help spread awareness of MS and the services MSRC can offer on our first Green day which coincided with World MS Day.

Thank you to everyone who took part and had fun, below are some of the things people, and MSRC staff, got up to.....

MSRC Staff Celebrate Green Day

Wendy And Rebecca Green Up The Chelsea Flower Show!

Myself and friend Rebecca Coomber dressed to attract attention at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show last week.  So many people stopped and chatted, asked us what we were promoting, or if they could take our photograph, or just smiled, it was a fantastic day.

The inspirational lady in the wheelchair we met also has MS; the garden we were photographed on was Nigel Dunnett's Silver-gilt medal winning garden with John Little and Dan Monck who created the green roof shipping container home office in the background.

I was diagnosed with MS last year, and Rebecca has entered the London Marathon 2012 to raise funds for MSRC.  It was great to feel that we were doing something in the meantime to raise awareness.  Hope you enjoy the photos as much as we enjoyed the day.

Wendy Allen

A Colchester-based charity which has helped thousands of people with multiple sclerosis since its formation 18 years ago is today (May 16) embarking on an exciting new chapter as it moves to new premises thanks to a generous bequest.

The Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre (MSRC) has been based at offices on the Peartree Business Centre for the past 11 years but the eight staff are now decamping to premises five times the size at Hythe Quay.

And the move will enable the charity to introduce a range of new services on site including a face-to-face counselling suite, physiotherapy and workshops covering a range of support services to people with MS.

MSRC Chief Executive, Helen Yates, said the move is the biggest step forward in the charity’s history. “We are all tremendously excited at what the move will enable us to do. The bequest was £225,000, the biggest we have ever received, and naturally we are incredibly grateful to the lady concerned, who had MS. We have named our new premises Unsworth House in honour of the lady.

“Apart from the fact we will now own our premises, which is hugely beneficial in itself, we will be able to provide a number of new services which we have always wanted to offer but couldn’t because of not having the space and resources.

“Until now, much of our work, support, advice and counselling has been carried out, through necessity, on the phone. As a charity helping people not just in the UK but across the world, this will continue to be the case. However, for local people with the disease, we will now be able to offer them face-to-face advice and help from our premises,” said Helen.

The charity was formed to offer a more innovative approach to supporting people with MS thorough access to unbiased information and advice. The charity’s approach is to encourage individuals to make choices which are appropriate to their daily lives, empowering them to maximise their potential.

Helen added: “The aim of MSRC is to act as a one-stop service for anyone affected by MS. Whether it is those with a diagnosis or expecting one, family, friends, employers, work colleagues, professionals in the field or those just with an interest, we aim to provide answers and/or support that is accurate and appropriate. We treat each enquiry with genuine empathy whilst tailoring the response to the needs of the caller.

“Sometimes it is just a question of listening and we do a lot of that as well. We try very hard never to make people feel that we haven't got time to talk or listen and no question is too small or too big. If we don't know the answer we will find it out and if we believe another agency could help further we will provide their details or arrange a contact.

“We have a wide range of single subject Choices leaflets as well as a bi-monthly magazine called New Pathways full of useful information, often not covered in other publications. MSRC also publishes its own books including The MSRC A to Z Guide to Complementary Therapies, which covers alternative therapies and was written by Judy Graham who has MS herself and is widely respected for her other books such as MS Pregnancy and Parenthood and Managing MS Naturally.

“MSRC has a very open but sensible approach to alternative therapies and has links to the independent MS therapy centres around the country. We are keen to ensure that no one is unable to gain therapy due to cost restrictions and that a list of approved therapists is established and maintained. MSRC believes in self-help and strong patient/professional partnerships with the emphasis on patient needs and priorities.

“All services are free except that a subscription of £15 a year is currently requested if people require our bi-monthly New Pathways magazine on a regular basis and can afford to pay. All other funding is through donations and grants.”

MS affects some 100,000 people in the UK. It is a chronic, disabling neurodegenerative disease which strikes most often during early adulthood. Many aspects of MS, including its cause, are not well understood. There is, however, a growing understanding of how the permanent physical and mental disabilities caused by MS arise over time.

MSRC are moving!

With effect from 16 MAY 2011.

Our postal address is :

The Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre,
Unsworth House,
Hythe Quay,
Colchester.
Essex
CO2 8JF

Telephone us on 01206 226500, Fax us on 01206 863721

Please note our freephone number remains the same 0800 783 0518

The FA cup semi-final is to be held at 5.15pm on 16 April at Wembley Stadium. Included in the prize are two Club Wembley tickets plus a fantastic lunch for two people at the Venue restaurant!

*Please note the tickets have a reserve price of £350 each*

To bid please send your bid by email to auction@msrc.co.uk before the close of business (5pm) on Thursday 7th April. The time will be decided on what time the email actually arrives in the inbox.

If you wish to telephone a bid, please call 01206 505444. At the deadline, the highest bid for the tickets will be declared the winner.

You may contact us to find out what the highest bid actually is at any given time. Please do this by emailing  auction@msrc.co.uk

Are you a fan of Manchester United or Manchester City?

Would you like two tickets for THE FA Cup semi-final between Manchester United and Manchester City at 5.15pm on 16 April including a fantastic lunch for two people at the Venue restauarant in Wembley Stadium?

Well, MSRC can give you a chance to be at Wembley for the fantastic semi-final battle following the original purchaser re-donating the tickets back to us, and here is how you can make the tickets and lunch yours!.

*Please note the tickets have a reserve price of £350 each*

To bid please send your bid by email to auction@msrc.co.uk before the close of business (5pm) on Thursday 7th April. The time will be decided on what time the email actually arrives in the inbox.

If you wish to telephone a bid, please call 01206 505444. At the deadline, the highest bid for the tickets will be declared the winner.

You may contact us to find out what the highest bid actually is at any given time. Please do this by emailing  auction@msrc.co.uk

Good luck!

This month we are launching three new Choices leaflets.

For those of you wanting to know more about Exercise and for those wishing to find out what the ins and outs of taking part in a Clinical Trial are, have a look at our latest leaflets.

We also have a list of Useful Organisations that may come in handy.

If there is anything you feel we have missed or there is another organisation that has helped you at some point that you think we should include then please email laura@msrc.co.uk

You can download these leaflets along with our existing Choices leaflets from our website via the link below.

You can also contact the office if you would prefer to receive them by post on 01206 505444.

MSRC MS Choices Leaflets.

MSRC is aiming to lift the winter blues by auctioning five great getaway prizes.

MSRC Chief Executive, Helen Yates, said:

“February is a bit of a dull old month so here’s an opportunity for people to look forward to something far more exciting and help the coffers of the charity in the process.”

 To bid on any of these items, please send your bid by email to auction@msrc.co.uk before the close of business (5pm) on Monday 28th February. The time will be decided on what time the email actually arrives in the inbox. If you wish to telephone a bid, please call 01206 505444. At the deadline, the highest bid for each item will be declared the winner. You may contact us to find out what the highest bid actually is at any given time. Please do this by emailing auction@msrc.co.uk

Golf at La Manga – Wooden Spoon Charity Event.

Current highest bid - £400

You and a guest will be playing La Manga at the Wooden Spoon Celebrity Golf Classic from 18th to 22nd May 2011.

You and your guest will be teamed with a different rugby celebrity every day for three days of glorious golf. Your four ball will be completed by a La Manga member with a wealth of experience to show the best the course has to offer. You and your guest will enjoy 4 nights bed and breakfast at the 5 star Prince Felipe Hotel at the Spanish resort. Hospitality includes welcome drinks and dinner reception, gala dinner with goodie bags, complimentary halfway house refreshments and a donation to the Wooden Spoon Charity.

Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel – Knightsbridge

Current highest bid - £175

A one night weekend stay for two at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower including breakfast.

Enjoy an overnight stay for two at the luxurious Jumeirah Carlton Tower including a full English breakfast.  All guests enjoy complimentary access to The Peak Health Club and Spa which boasts stunning views over central London with state of the art gym equipment, golf simulator, sauna, award winning spa and 20m indoor heated pool.  This is valid until 02/12/2011 (not applicable to June or July)

FA Cup Semi Final Tickets

Current highest bid - £580

You and a guest will get Club Wembley Tickets for a semi final on either 16th or 17th April.

Club Wembley seats are in the middle tier which runs all the way around the Stadium and is only accessible to Club Wembley Members. It has its own bars and restaurants which need to be reserved about a month in advance.

As well as this fantastic opportunity to be there for one of the semi finals, you will also get a hotel room for the night up to the value of £200.

Lions Golf

Join us as a four ball for Dafydd Jones Lions golf day on Tuesday 5th July at the superb Builth Wells golf course in Mid Wales, invited players include Shane Williams, Dwayne Peel, Simon Easterby and more. Midday registration, breakfast rolls, shotgun start, 18 hole competition followed by presentation dinner and fun in the clubhouse.

Please note this event does have a minimum reserve price.

What Goes on Tour Dinner 2011

Current highest bid - £500

Table of 8 hosted by an International Rugby Star for dinner with the stories from Rugby's legends previewing the Rugby World Cup. April 6th from 7pm The Grange City Hotel, London, Invited players include Dafydd Jones, Martyn Williams, Stephen Jones, Phil Greening, Mike Phillips and more, followed by World Cup winning stories from England’s most capped player Jason Leonard , Inc: 4 course dinner.