Asian MS Newsletter Summer Issue, 2012

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Page 1 Multiple Sclerosis Society. Registered charity no 1139257/SC041990 Registered as a limited company in England and Wales(07451571)TO DONATE BY TEXT TO ASIAN MS: Send AMSS89 10 to 70070

Summer Issue 2012

Asian MS

Newsletter

ASIAN MS ANNUAL MEETING 2012*****************************************************************If you have any questions about how Asian MS isstructured or run then please do not hesitate to contactus. If you have any ideas about future projects, you need

support or you have heard about an event where AsianMSs presence could be useful then do let us know!*****************************************************************The Asian MS Annual Meeting 2012 took place onSaturday 19th May in Maidenhead. It was the first time

that the Annual Meeting wasbeing held outside of Londonand was largely thanks tothe kind donation of the use

of The Royal Borough ofWindsor and MaidenheadTown Halls DesboroughSuite by The Worshipful

Mayor of the Royal Borough of Windsor and MaidenheadCouncillor Asghar Majeed.

The event was very successful, attended by around 60people over 4-5

hours. The daystarted with officialbusiness, with thevoting in of thenew committee.

We welcomed two new committee members Trishnabecame an official part of the committee as NewsletterEditor, while Samir has come on board as a CommitteeMember. Three committee members stepped downAbul, Anisha and Bhupinder, however, were sure they

will continue to play an active part in Asian MS.

There were several talksduring the day. Trishnagave a presentationentitled What is MS?,

which was well-receivedby attendees, particularlythose who had no or little

knowledge about the condition. Anisha spokeabout volunteering for Asian MS and why thesupport group is needed. Angela Outerbridgefrom the Chilterns MSTherapy Centre gave awonderful talk about the

benefits ofphysiotherapy andexercise for people withMS, while Susan Allisonfrom the MS Society spoke about the role ofcarers and Carers Week.

No Asian MS event would be complete withoutfood and we were lucky to be able to enjoy kind

donations from the local Sikh temple, TheHandmade Cake Company and Saher Usmanismum, who made sure that there were lots ofdelicious things to eat. Members of the HinduSociety of Maidenhead gave up their time tohelp serve the food, which was also very muchappreciated.

A raffle on the day managed to raise 130 sothank you to everyone who donated prizes and

bought tickets!

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Page 2 Multiple Sclerosis Society. Registered charity no 1139257/SC041990 Registered as a limited company in England and Wales(07451571)TO DONATE BY TEXT TO ASIAN MS: Send AMSS89 10 to 70070

MEET THE NEW COMMITTEE!

VINNIE

Chair

SHIV

Treasurer

SANJAY

Founder/Committee

Member

TRISHNA

Newslet ter Editor

MUKESH

Fundraisin g Off icer

VICKY

Minutes Secretary

SAMIR

Comm ittee Member

RANI

Publ ic i ty & Suppo rt

Off icer

ILA

Committee Member

In addition to those people/organisations that have already been mentioned, wed also like toexpress our sincere thanks and gratitude to: Key Circle Pharmacy, Pencarrie UKL, StigaTable Tennis Company, John Lewis, Waitrose Maidenhead, Amber Zone, Brenda Stores,

BTS, Yonex, The Pincushion, Thames Valley Sports, St Marks Florist, Gordon Stores,Londis, The Book Company, Saher Usmani, and The Kochhar family.

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Page 3 Multiple Sclerosis Society. Registered charity no 1139257/SC041990 Registered as a limited company in England and Wales(07451571)TO DONATE BY TEXT TO ASIAN MS: Send AMSS89 10 to 70070

A message from the EditorWow. What a jam-packed few

months. Theres been lots going on in

the world of MS, and Asian MS has

had maximum involvement.

April saw the holding of the MS Societys biggest

conference for MSers in Europe. MS Life took place

in Manchester over an entire weekend. Asian MS not

only had an information stand there but also gave a

presentation outlining our work during the National

Support Groups workshop. We welcomed many new

members as a result of our presence and our stand

was extremely popular (helped by the offering of

some Indian sweets I think!).

MS Awareness Week was in early-May, with people

being encouraged to Get Active in their fight-back

against MS. If you have any stories about how you

took part then please let us know and we can feature

you in the next newsletter.

Asian MS also held their Annual Meeting

for the first time outside London. You can

find out more on p.1 & 2.

Ramadan is upon us and the MS Society

has a factsheet available about MS and

fasting:http://www.mssociety.org.uk/ms-

resources/fasting-and-ms

We rely on volunteers and there is always

more work than there are hands to get it

done! If youd like to get involved please let

us know. Specifically, were currently

looking for a Membership Secretaryand a

Website Editor. More details are in thisnewsletter and an email will be going out

soon too.

Enjoy this edition and please pass it on to

anyone who you think may be

interested in our work.

-Trishna x

CONTENTS

-Asian MS Annual Meeting & Meet The New Committee.p.1-2

-A message from the Editor.p.3

-Asian MS News (including MS Life).p.4

-A chance to get involved..p.5-7

-Looking for people for MS Films; Trishnas Top Tips.p.8

-Dates for your Diary; The Priority Services Register.p.9

-Holidays & MS; Recipes from Lubna.p.10-11

-General information and literature.p.12

-Latest research and MS in the News.p.13

-Fundraising for Asian MS.p.14

-Useful information and contacts.p.15

Deadline for the Autumn Edition

of the newsletter is 7th

September

2012. Please send your stories,

links, photos and news to

[email protected]

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ASIAN MS NEWSAsian MS at MS Life

Asian MS was present at MS Life in Manchester over the

weekend of 14-15 April 2012. Not only did we have aninformation stand, we also did a presentation as part of

the National Support Groups workshop on the second

day of the event.

We signed up a

significant

number of new

members and

many people

visiting the stand

remarked how

welcoming and friendly Asian MS is!

The National Support Groups workshop gave us a

chance to explain to attendees why Asian MS is needed

and how they can get

involved. Committee

members Shiv, Anisha

and Trishna (pictured)

all gave short

presentations and

Rani tweeted and

updated the Asian MS Facebook page throughout theworkshop.

The weekend was filled with talks and workshops

dealing with all aspects of MS, from research to lifestyle

issues to mental and physical wellbeing. For those of

you who were unable to make it, there are some videos

available on the MS Societys You Tube channel and

Facebook page.

RAM BECOMES ASHINING STAR!

The MS Societys Shining StarAward is an annual scheme torecognise outstanding contributionby volunteers that work with or onbehalf of people affected by MS.

Dr. Sreeram Ramagopalan wasnominated for a Shining Star Award

by Asian MS and this was presentedto him during our Annual Meeting.

Dr. Ram (ashe is known!)works in MSresearch,mainly inVitamin D and

epidemiology.He regularly gives up his own time tospeak at events, such as MSinformation days and is alwayswilling to go that extra mile to makesure people have informationavailable to them. Hes maderesearch accessible and easy to

understand.

He has also beenvery active inpromoting andhelping MS charities,including Asian MS. Well doneRam!!

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A CHANCE TO GET INVOLVED

A NEW CLINICAL TRIAL FOR CAMPATH

The purpose of this trial is to try and

prevent side effects of alemtuzumab - a

drug which has been tested in clinical

trials as an MS treatment. Although

alemtuzumab is an effective treatment for

MS, it has side effects, in particular 1 in 3

patients develops a new autoimmune disease,

most commonly affecting the thyroid gland. The

trial organisers believe that the risk of developing

autoimmune disease after treatment with

alemtuzumab can be cut by using a drug called

Kepivance (also known as Palifermin), which hasbeen shown to effectively do this in animals. This

study is testing whether or not Kepivance will

boost thymus function in humans.

To be eligible, you must have relapsing-remitting

MS, be within ten years of your first MS symptoms,

be able to walk without aids and have had at least

2 clinical episodes of MS in the previous 2 years.These relapses may have occurred whilst on

disease-modifying therapy.

For further information and to view a Patient

Information Sheet, please go to :

http://www.colescambridge.org.uk/trial%20part

icipation.htm

APITOPE STUDY

ATX-MS-1467 is a new investigational drug being

tested as a possible treatment for relapsing forms

of MS. Investigational drug means it has not been

approved for general use by government health

authorities, however, it can be tested in research

studies.

The study aims to test the safety of the drug in

humans and to evaluate the effects of ATX-MS-

1467 on the underlying causes of MS.

ATX-MS-1467 has undergone tests in laboratory

models and no significant problems were seen. The

drug has also been tested in a previous clinical trial

in six people with SPMS. During that study, the

people reported minimal side effects.

There are various eligibility criteria in order to be

considered for this study and recruitment will only

continue whilst there are places available. For more

information please go to:

http://www.mssociety.org.uk/sites/default/files/D

ocuments/Research/Apitope%20study.pdf

THE MS REGISTER Have you signed up

yet?

The MS Register is a

ground-breaking study

designed to increase ourunderstanding of living with

MS in the UK. You can take part by completing a

series of simple online questionnaires.

If you are over the age of 18 and living in the UK,

with a confirmed diagnosis of MS made by a

consultant neurologist, you are eligible to take part

in this study.

There are also a small number of pilot sites that are

collecting clinical information: Royal Victoria

Hospital, Belfast; Western General Hospital,

Edinburgh; St. Marys Hospital, London; Queens

Medical Centre, Nottingham; and Morriston

Hospital, Swansea.

http://www.ukmsregister.org

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A CHANCE TO GET INVOLVED

MS SOCIETY TISSUE BANK

This is an MS Society-supported initiative to enable

people with and without MS to donate their spinal

cord and brain for MS Research. Samples areprocessed and stored to help understand the causes

of MS and the development of effective treatments.

The Tissue Bank is the biggest MS-specific brain

donor initiative operating in Europe. For more

information contact: MS Society Tissue Bank,

Wolfson Neuroscience Laboratories, Imperial College

London, Tel: 020 7594 9734 or see

http://live.mssociety.org.uk/ms-research/get-involved-research/ms-tissue-bank

MS SOCIETY RESEARCH NETWORK

The Research Network helps the MS Society make

sure that the research it funds reflects the needs and

interests of people with MS. It also helps it to ensure

research is being communicated in a way thatsaccessible to everyone in the MS community.

There are different ways of getting involved:

reviewing research applications, meeting

researchers, taking part in a research panel or

steering group, and/or improving the way research

information is communicated

The Research Network is open to anyone interestedin research that has experience of living with MS or

caring for someone with MS. It doesn't matter where

you live or how much research experience you

have. All training is provided. For more information

please visit:http://www.mssociety.org.uk/ms-

research/get-involved-research/research-

network/whats-involved

RELAPSE SUPPORT SCHEME

This scheme was initially a pilot run in East

Sussex. The aim was to help individuals to plan

ahead for the daily

activities they would need

to do if/when they had a

relapse.

While its understood that medical symptoms

cannot be predicted, what can be envisaged is

that certain daily activities will still need to be done

e.g. walking the dog, going to work, getting meals

cooked, getting the children to school.

The project aims to help individuals to think about

exactly how such activities would be managed if

they had a relapse, including where they would

look to for help and how much, if anything, they

would need to pay for this help.

The pilot has now been extended to more local

branches and Asian MS has been asked to take

part as one of the MS Societys national supportgroups. We will be looking for a set number of

members with Relapsing Remitting MS to

participate and an email will go out soon. In the

meantime, if youre interested please get in touch

with us at:[email protected] put

Relapse Support Scheme in the subject box.

FEEDBACK NEEDED!

Asian MS would like to

receive your feedback about our

quarterly newsletter. Please go to the

following link to complete the survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/88

HDQL6

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A CHANCE TO GET INVOLVED

EXERCISE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

STUDY

The Centre for Research in Rehabilitation at Brunel

University would like to invite you to participate inthis study as part of a PhD project. The research will

be led by Andrea Stennett, Physiotherapist, under

the supervision of Professor Lorraine DeSouza and

Dr. Meriel Norris.

You must be 18 years or older, have a diagnosis of

MS and be living within the community. They will be

using a technique known as the Delphi Method toexplore your views of exercise and physical activity.

You do not have to be physically active to take part

in this study.

Your involvement would require you to complete

three rounds of questionnaires, with a gap of up to

two months between each round.

If you are interested in this research, please contactAndrea Stennett for a research pack. Please note

that requesting a research pack does not oblige you

to participate in the study. Contact details: Andrea

Stennett, Tel: 01895268729, email:

[email protected]

FIGHTING BACK AGAINST MS!

The MS Society has produced some videos

designed to spark interest

and encourage people to

think what it might be liketo live with MS. You can

watch them at:

www.msfightback.org.uk, and share them

with your own networks to spread the word

and encourage people you know to join the

Fightback against MS.

Funding opportunity for people with MSNational charity the MS Research and Relief Fund offers grant funding for items includingequipment, aids, adaptations, holidays and respite care.The fund can be used either to complement grants awarded by the MS Society where ashortfall in funding exists, or as a single funding opportunity. The registered charity willconsider applications for grants for individuals and for groups.For more information contact the charitys Grants Manager, Dave Farham on 01670

505829 [email protected] visit

www.msresearchandrelief.org; or contact Julie Gilson, MS Society Grants Manager at

020 8438 0950 [email protected]

KEEP YOUR EYE OUT!

The MS Society maintains

a list of research studies

and clinical trials that are

currently recruiting

participants. If you are

interested please go to:

http://www.mssociety.or

g.uk/ms-research/get-

involved-in-research

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WANT TO GETINVOLVED WITH MS

FILMS?MINNOW FILMSis looking for

people willing to share their lifestory living with MS.

Were you d iagnos ed 3 -12 years

ago?

Have you had to m ake som e tough

decisio ns ov er the years?

Would yo u l ike to inspire others

with your story?

They are currently developing a short

documentary film project about people

living with MS. They are particularly keen

on finding people who are articulate about

their current and past experiences, as they

want the films to be reflective.

If you are open and insig htful, with a

posi t ive out look on l i fe they would l ike

to hear f rom yo u. Their goal is to tell the

stories of engaging men and women

whose lives have taken different turns but

nevertheless made them the people they

are today.

Please contact Salma on

[email protected]

Or call 020 7078 8166 for more

information.

Trishnas Top Tips

Your Asian MS Newsletter Editor

has been moonlighting (!) and has also been

making regular contributions to the Shift.ms

magazine. Her latest article looks at the

various perks that MSers are able to access

(depending on disability levels). It includes

information on cheaper rail fares, the Priority

Services Register of energy suppliers (also see

p.9 of this newsletter), free cinema/concert

tickets for carers/helpers, radar keys, Blue

Badges and bus passes. For more information

go to:http://shift.ms/2012/06/trishnas-top-tips-perks-you-should-know/#comment-

8871

FUNDRAISING FOR ASIAN MS

If you are interested infundraising for Asian MS, please

contact our fundraising officer,

Mukesh Jethwa on

[email protected]

We rely on donations to keep going soif you know of someone wanting toraise money for charity, why not

suggest that they fundraise for AsianMS? There are further details in thisnewsletter about how to make adonation and what the money isneeded for.

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DATES FOR

YOUR

DIARY

MS SOCIETY AGMThis years AGM will take place on 15thSeptember 2012at the Marriott HotelRegents Park, Swiss Cottage, London.MS Society members who are eligible to vote(fully paid-up on 16th June 2012) will receivefull voting information on or around 2ndAugust and will be able to vote online, bypost or in person. The AGM will be shown

on:www.mssociety.org.uk.

Utility companies and

vulnerable people

By law, each utility company in the UK

must provide a range of free services to

certain customers who are on their

Priority Services Register. A Priority Services Register

is a list of people who are:

If you know someone who is likely to be vulnerable inthe event of an electrical power cut (remember that

most of the self-injection MS medications need to be

kept refrigerated), an outage of gas supply or the water

supply being cut off, encourage them to register with

either their utility suppliers (the company that sends

their bill) or the companies which transport the gas or

distribute the electricity to their home and their local

water company.

You can find out more on the Consumer Focus website

at:www.consumerfocus.org.uk/get-

advice/energy/households/help-for-vulnerable-

consumers

If someone has trouble paying their utility bills, they

should also contact the billing company or provider of

the utility which have Trusts to help those in hardship.

-Of pensionable age-

-Chronically sick-

-Blind or partially sighted-

-Deaf or partially deaf-

-Have mental health problems-

-Disabled in any other way-

ASIAN MS NEEDS

YOUR HELP!

As we expand, Asian MS is in desperateneed of more volunteers to help us to

continue offering our support and services.Communication with our membership is ofutmost importance to us and we arecurrently looking to appoint a MembershipSecretary and a Website Editor. TheMembership Secretary would be mainlyresponsible for dealing withcorrespondence and membership issues(such as maintaining the membershipdatabase). The Website Editor would be incharge of updating the Asian MS website,particularly uploading e-editions of theNewsletter and Asian MS news. [email protected] are interested in either post and wouldlike further information. Emails should beaddressed to Vinnie Kochhar.

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PLANNING YOUR HOLIDAYS

Having MS shouldnt

stop you from taking a

holiday or visiting thatplace youve always

wanted to go to. It

may take a bit more planning but everything

is possible! With summer upon us and the

UK weather being as unpredictable as ever,

here are some top tips for those of you who

are planning a summer break.

Insurance Make sure you take out travel

insurance. You will need to declare your MS

to the insurance provider some companies

will cover it, while others will exclude it from

the policy. It may be worth shopping around

and the MS Society provides some

information about the topic. Please see the

website for more information.

Accessibility If you require facilities that are

wheelchair accessible or

you arent able to

manage lots of stairs,

then forward planning is

a must to ensure that

your holiday is as stress-free as possible. There are many websites

available that offer information about

accessible travel and can recommend

accommodation. Just type accessible travel

into an online search engine!

Language The MS Society has wallet-sized

cards in various languages that tell people

you have MS and that you may needassistance. This can be useful if, for example,

you have bladder/bowel problems and need

the toilet urgently. For more information

please go to:

http://www.mssociety.org.uk/ms-

resources/ms-assistance-card

Medication Make sure you pack enough

medication, plus some extra just in case. If

youre on one of the disease modifying

drugs that need to be kept under 25oC then

make sure you have the correct travelling

bags and ice bricks/cool packs. You will also

need to remember to arrange for

refrigeration at your destination,

if youre travelling to a

hot country. You will

need to get a letter from your

MS nurse to show to airport

security/customs, as most MS

medication needs to travel with you in your

hand luggage. Dont forget this, as you could

be otherwise stopped from taking your

drugs with you. Its also a good idea to let

the airline know beforehand that youll be

travelling with medication, as they can often

make a note on your reservation. If youre

on hospital-based infusions then you will

need to arrange with your MS care team

when would be the best time to travel, so

that you dont miss out on a dose.

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Heat Many people with MS find their

symptoms worsen in heat. So if youre

travelling to a hot country, ensure that you

drink cool drinks, wear loose and cool

clothing, and put on a hat. If necessary, do

indoor things during the hottest part of the

day and make the most of the mornings and

evenings outdoors, when the heat is less

intense. Cool sprays and fans can also be a

good idea, as is taking a cool shower before

and after any activity that involves becoming

hot.

Staying healthy Being ill can worsen your

MS symptoms and you dont want your

holiday ruined because

youre feeling under the

weather. Ensure you

pack a first aid kit that

contains essentials such

as painkillers, insect repellant (if necessary),

rehydration powders/tablets in case ofdiarrhoea, antiseptic and alcohol gel etc.

Double check which vaccinations you may

need and remember to mention that you

have MS, as some live vaccines (particularly if

youre visiting tropical destinations such as

Africa) are unsuitable for people with MS or

who are on immunosuppressant therapy.

Also remember to be sensible when it comesto eating and drinking, particularly if youre

travelling to a country where safe drinking

water may be an issue.

Finally, if youre looking for inspiration to go

and book that flight, this article is well worth

a read!http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-

17786085

Recipes from LubnaMushroom Pulao

1 lb/450 g/2 cups Basmati Rice225g/8oz Mushrooms6 oz/175g onions, peeled and finely chopped2 tbsp vegetable oil2 large black cardamoms0.028g/1oz butter1"/2.5cm cinnamon stick1 bay leaf4 cups water tsp black cumin seeds10 black peppercorns2 clovesSalt to taste

-Wash the rice in several changes of water anddrain. Soak the rice in bowl of water for 10minutes.

-Wipe the mushrooms with moist kitchen towel.Cut mushrooms into slices.

-Heat vegetable oil in saucepan over a medium

flame and fry onions until they turn a light goldencolour. Add the whole spices and fry them for 1minute whilst stirring. Add the mushrooms andbutter and continue to fry for 2 more minutes.

-Add rice and fry with the onions, spices andmushrooms to coat the rice with the oil and butter.To avoid the rice sticking to the saucepan, pour in4 cups of water and salt to taste immediately and

bring to the boil, cover with the lid.

-Turn down the heat to low and use a diffuserwhere possible, continue to cook for 10 minutes.Lift the lid and stir the rice, replace lid for 5 moreminutes, check if the rice has cooked, turn off theheat.

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General InformationInformation

The MS Society has a range of publications

containing information and advice for carers and

families:

Caring for someone with MS: a handbook for

family and friends

MS in your life a guide for young carers

MS Carers: The mans guide to caring for

someone with Multiple Sclerosis

You can order these from the Information team

by calling 020 8438 0799 or from the online shop

on the MS Society website.

Financial assistance

There are two grant funds specifically for carers

Young Carers Fund

Carers Opportunities Fund.

There is also support for carers through the

Short Breaks and Activities Fund. Carers can

apply to this for funding towards short breaks

and holidays.Find out more from the Grants Team on 020

8438 0700 [email protected] visit

the grants pages on the website.

If you live in Scotland, please call 0131 335 4050

or [email protected]

Emotional support

The MS Helpline is available to give free and

confidential advice and support to anyone

affected by MS from 9am-9pm, Monday- Friday.

It is also open for a trial period on Saturdays

from 10am-1pm until 20th

October. The helpline

number is freephone 0808 800 8000. Please

specify if you would like to speak with someone

from Asian MS and you will be directed to one of

our support officers.

New Information Booklets Available

Employment and Support Allowance

(ESA) (MS Essentials 29)

Disease modifying drugs (MSEssentials 06)

Sex, intimacy and relationships (MS

Essentials 12)

Swallowing difficulties (MS

Essentials 24)

Note: The MS Essentials factsheet for

Critical Illness insurance (September 2009)

has been withdrawn. For information onthis topic please go to

www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk

For a list of all the MS Societys key

publications showing the latest editions

and revisions visit the website:

www.mssociety.org.uk/ms-

resources/key-publicationsor call 0300

1000 801.

To contact the MS Society Information

Team: [email protected]

or call 020 8438 0799 (weekdays 9am-

4pm)

***********************************

If you would like a copy of the MSSocietys latest MSbooklet, which has

been translated into 12 languages

including Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi,

Bengali, Gujerati and Farsi, please

contact Saher Usmani on 0208 438 0856

[email protected]

***********************************

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LATEST RESEARCH & MS IN THE NEWSTrending: When a celebrity's illness is a warning sign for

everyone

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/trending-when-a-celebritys-illness-is-

a-warning-sign-for-everyone-

7858851.html?origin=internalSearch

I, too have MS, Jack. It may be incurable but it was the

making of me

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2161360/Jack-

Osbournes-MS-I-MS-Jack-It-incurable-making-me.html#ixzz1yiYgmTXq

Multiple sclerosis patients at lower risk of cancer

http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?newsid=19575

6&catname=Health

Sunshine and vitamin D: why cloudy skies are bad for our

health

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/may/05/vitamin-d-

deficiency-sunlight-health?newsfeed=true

Active ingredient of cannabis has no

effect on the progression of multiple

sclerosis

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012

-06-ingredient-cannabis-effect-

multiple-sclerosis.html

Tevas Higher-Dose Copaxone Cut

MS Relapses in Trial

http://www.businessweek.com/news/

2012-06-14/teva-s-higher-dose-copaxone-cut-ms-relapses-in-trial

In vitro fertilization linked to multiple

sclerosis relapse

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012

-06-vitro-fertilization-linked-multiple-

sclerosis.html

MS Across Europe - Ever wondered how MS maps out across Europe?

http://multiple-sclerosis-research.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/research-sclersosis-ms-and-als-are-not.html)

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Page 14 Multiple Sclerosis Society. Registered charity no 1139257/SC041990 Registered as a limited company in England and Wales(07451571)TO DONATE BY TEXT TO ASIAN MS: Send AMSS89 10 to 70070

FUNDRAISING FOR ASIAN MSWhere do the funds go?

Asian MS is funded purely bydonations, which areused for variouspurposes. They includegrants for individuals tohelp them attend MS-related events, contributions to research

projects, and administration costs.

The Myelin Repair Project

One research initiative that has recentlyreceived a 1,000 donation from Asian MS is

the Cambridge Centre for Myelin Repair,which is being supported by the MS Society.The first stage of the research programmesaw the identification of a drug that could

potentially repair myelin, which is damaged in

people with MS. The project is now movinginto a second stage where researchers will

undertake pre-clinical research, with the aimof ultimately translating lab findings into a

clinical trial.

Asian MSare proud to announce that they now have the facilities to allow people to make donationsto them in an easier and quicker way.

Donations by credit card via the internet site justgiving.com:www.justgiving.com/AsianMS

How to make donations by text message :

Send a text message to 70070Remember to include the subject of the text: as AMSS89

and send it with the amount you wish to donate up to a maximum of 10

If you wish to donate 10 your message would read AMSS89 10

If you wish to donate 5 your message would read AMSS89 5 and so on.

You may donate with any number from 1-5, and the money will go directly to the MS Society, whichwill transfer the cash generated to Asian MS.

You can also raise funds every time you shop through EasyFundraising:

http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/asianms

We thank you kindly in advance for your support

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Page 15 Multiple Sclerosis Society. Registered charity no 1139257/SC041990 Registered as a limited company in England and Wales(07451571)TO DONATE BY TEXT TO ASIAN MS: Send AMSS89 10 to 70070

Useful Information

General and Membership Enquiries:[email protected]

Website:http://www.mssociety.org.uk/ms-support/support-groups/asian-ms

Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/AsiansWithMS

Twitter:http://twitter.com/AsianswithMS

Saher Usmani, MS Society Support Groups Officer (please contact for hard

copies of this newsletter and MS information booklets in different languages):

0208 438 0856 [email protected]

Asian MS is a national support group for Asians withMS, their carers, friends and family. We seek to increase

awareness and dispel ignorance of MS in the Asian

community, as well as put fun and dignity into the lives

of Asians with MS and their carers. We also raise money

for people affected by MS within the Asian community.

We produce online and printed information in various

languages and offer an interpreting service.

Vinnie Kochhar Chair

Shiv - Treasurer

Trishna Newsletter Editor

Mukesh - Fundraising Officer

Rani - Publicity Officer/Support Officer

MS Society Website:http://www.mssociety.org.uk

MS Society Helpl ine:0808 800 8000

Asian MS JustGiving:www.justgiving.com/AsianMS

MS Regis ter:www.ukmsregister.org

MS Trust (chari ty that prov ides inform at ion about MS):

http://www.mstrust.org.uk/

MS Therapy Centres:http://www.msntc.org.uk/

Shift.ms (an online community for younger MSers):

http://www.shift.ms/index.php

MS Research Blog (run by Barts & The London Neuroimmunology Group):

http://multiple-sclerosis-research.blogspot.com