The Buddy Network is the peer support service run by national charity Shift:ms that connects people newly diagnosed with MS to a Buddy, an ‘experienced’ person with MS, to lend a listening ear.
Shift:ms believe that chatting with people like you helps you listen, adapt and take charge. MS doesn’t mean giving up on your ambitions, just rethinking how to achieve them.
People with MS have significantly higher rates of loneliness than healthy adults. Acute or chronic health concerns present barriers for people with MS to engage in social connections and maintain social bonds.
People with MS who are matched with a Buddy report feeling less empty, generally having more people around they can turn to for support and that they feel closer to these people and less rejected by others.
If you think you would benefit from chatting to an experienced person with MS, please click here or email hello@shift.ms