Herts and Essex Region

The East Herts and West Essex Branch serves an area stretching from Dunmow in the north to Theydon Bois/ Epping in the south and Ongar in the east to Hertford/ Ware in the west. Other major population centres being Harlow, Saffron Walden, Bishop's Stortford, and Sawbridgeworth.

The Branch offers the only support service in the area for those affected by multiple sclerosis. Our membership is just over 200, the majority having MS, however the number of people who are affected and can call on our services is much greater.

All our activities are run and managed by volunteers. A number of services are provided, including:

• Transport (enabling access to essential medical appointments, transport to and from respite care, social events and to stop mobility impaired people becoming isolated in their homes etc.)
• Welfare support (funding MS dedicated physiotherapy and yoga sessions not available under the NHS)
• Providing grants to enable affected members to access specialist equipment not available from the statutory services.

In addition the branch has contributed to the costs of West Essex PCT in employing an MS nurse specialist for the West Essex area.

All funding for the Branch activities is via local fundraising activities either from non-statutory sponsorships and events and voluntary giving, or from applications to funding bodies. It is a Branch commitment at the end of each year to donate any surplus monies to the national MS Society fund to sponsor research into finding the cause and a cure for the condition.