100 club winners July:
Drawn by Jo Schofield
1st prize Geoff Fewings
2nd prize Julia Gower
3rd prize Nandi Ablett
Sharing a total prize fund of: £102.50
Free Six Week Hope Programme for MS starting September
We have been sent the following information about a free 6 week online course aimed at people with MS:
Do you want to enhance your resilience through these difficult times, rediscover strengths and increase your ability to cope?
Hope For The Community CIC are running a group self-management programme for people living with MS to improve their wellbeing. The programme was co-created with people living with MS, healthcare professionals and researchers at Coventry University to make sure it is rooted in science.
- Free 6 week course starting from 27 September
- Facilitated by trained community volunteers with lived experience of MS
- Learn whenever you like, at a pace that suits you.
- Learn wherever you like. You can access the Programme on desktop, tablet or smartphone.
- You can learn whatever you like. If you do not enjoy some of the content or activities, just skip it or bookmark it and come back to it later.
- Share and learn from each other. We all have a story to share and we learn best with others. If you want to, make sure you join in the page discussions, forum topics and by liking and commenting on others posts.
- Online sessions covering topics such as fatigue management, physical activity, healthy eating, stress management and more
If you are interested in signing up, please visit the Hope for the Community website
Have your say on the Government’s Disability Action Plan
The Government’s Disability Unit has recently launched a 12-week consultation, which will inform the new Disability Action Plan.
This consultation is aimed at anyone with an interest in the action the government will take during 2023 and 2024 to improve the lives of disabled people. Disabled people and disabled people’s organisations may be particularly interested but the consultation is open to everyone, including both organisations and individuals, so this is your chance to have your say.
Find out how to take part in the consultation and have your say by going to the UK Government website.
MS newsletter Summer 2023
Physio-led pool classes
Neuro Aqua Power
Physiotherapist-led pool exercise sessions for people with neurological conditions
Neuro Aqua Power is a fun and empowering 50 minute exercise class! We cover strengthening, cardiovascular fitness, core stability and balance work.
Participants need to be able to access the pool using a series of short steps with a rail.
The West Oxfordshire MS Society are very generously providing a £5 subsidy per session for anyone with MS.
Venue: Carterton Leisure Centre, Broadshires Way, Carterton OX18 1AA
Day and time: Wednesdays 12.15pm – 1.15 p.m, running in 4 week blocks.
Cost: 4 week block booking of £50 (£30 if eligible for subsidy) or £15 PAYG (£10 if eligible for subsidy)
Pre-booking and initial consultation (phone or in person) essential
Contact: caroline@onphysio.co.uk
Telephone: 07702884531 Oxfordshire Neurophysiotherapy www.onphysio.co.uk
Many thanks Phil Hicks
Many thanks to Phil Hicks who has provided us with some stunning flower pots again this year.
Lots of people have commented and it brightens our day!
Items for sale
Items for sale, all only £5 per item:
- Paper shredder
- Multi-purpose Bottle and Jar Opener
- Rigid Sock and Stocking Helper (complete with instructions)!
Speak to Sue if interested……
MS Hope Programme – starts 27th September 2023 – Places available to book now!
Are you living with MS?
Do you want to enhance your resilience, rediscover strengths and increase your ability to cope?
Hope For The Community CIC are running a group self-management programme for people living with MS to improve their wellbeing. The Programme was co-created with people living with MS, healthcare professionals and researchers at Coventry University to make sure it is rooted in science.
What will the programme involve?
You will be asked to enrol on a 6 week online Hope Programme. It focuses on you and your wellbeing.
- Learn whenever you like, at a pace that suits you. Please note that the Programme is not delivered in a way for people to be on “at the same time”. It takes about 2 hours to go through the materials each week, but you can do this at your own pace and time that suits. Some people do chunks of 20mins some people do more or less whenever they can find the time
- Learn wherever you like. You can access the Programme on desktop, tablet or smartphone. You will require an internet connection to complete it.
- You can learn whatever you like. If you do not enjoy some of the content or activities, just skip it or bookmark it and come back to it later.
- Share and learn from each other. We all have a story to share and we learn best with others. If you want to, make sure you join in the page discussions, forum topics and by liking and commenting on others posts.
Each week the programme covers topics like:
The programme includes quizzes, worksheets, audio and video materials, interactive activities and social networking via email and forums. There will also be a mindfulness session and an opportunity for the group to come safely together online. You will be supported throughout by trained facilitators who live with MS.
The programme can be accessed from PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. The programme is not delivered in a way for people to be on “at the same time”. You will have access to the programme 24/7. It takes about 2 hours to go through the materials each week, but you can do this at your own pace and time that suits. We deliver the programme to people living with MS around the country and many found the programme helped them to feel better and improved their quality of life.
Next course date: 27th September 2023 – ONLINE
Sign-up and more info: BOOK NOW
Brain Health & MS, MS Society Webinar – 20 July
Talks with MS are proud to host a series of webinars in partnership with the MS Society to discuss different aspects of MS in the Black Community.
Join Terri-Louise who is the founder of Talks with MS as she guides you through an evening with a panel to discuss Brain Health & MS.
Brain Health refers to remembering, learning, planning, concentrating and keeping a clear and active mind. The panel will be discussing ways to keep an active and healthy mind and sharing any lifestyle changes and tips to manage.
Date: Thursday 20 July
Time: 7pm to 8pm
This session is organised by the national MS charity, the MS Society. You can find out more about them by visiting their website at www.mssociety.org.uk
New research into genetic markers and MS progression
Researchers have discovered the first genetic marker associated with a faster progression of MS, paving the way for new treatments to be developed.
The global study of more than 22,000 people with MS involved 70 global institutions led by scientists from the University of Cambridge and the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) in the US.
The immune system of people with MS attacks their brain and spinal cord, resulting in symptoms such as fatigue and problems with vision, movement, sensation and balance. While treatment has been developed to tackle symptoms, none can prevent its progression.
Researchers assessed genetic factors influencing MS severity. They combined data from 12,584 people with MS, linking genetic variants to particular traits such as the time it took for each individual to advance from diagnosis to a certain level of disability.
One genetic variant was found to be associated with faster disease progression. The variant sits between two genes with no prior connection to MS, known as DYSF and ZNF638. The first repairs damaged cells and the second helps control viral infections.
Prof Sergio Baranzini at UCSF, who is co-senior author of the study, said: “Inheriting this genetic variant from both parents accelerates the time to needing a walking aid by almost four years.”
Dr Adil Harroud, lead author of the study and former postdoctoral researcher in the Baranzini Lab at UCSF, added: “These genes are normally active within the brain and spinal cord, rather than the immune system.
“Our findings suggest that resilience and repair in the nervous system determine the course of MS progression and that we should focus on these parts of human biology for better therapies.”
Professor Stephen Sawcer from the University of Cambridge and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Understanding how the variant exerts its effects on MS severity will hopefully pave the way to a new generation of treatments that are able to prevent disease progression.”
The research team is now collecting a larger set of DNA samples from people with MS to find other variants that could contribute to disability from the condition.
You can read more about this interesting research on the UCSF website
