Take the opportunity to talk to your fellow committee members, as they will have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with you, and they'll also be able to introduce you to the work of the branch and your role as a committee member. Also, you should have received a volunteers induction pack, containing some basic information about the MS Society, MS, and being a volunteer - if you haven't had a pack, please ask your committee to provide you with one.

Each of the officers on your branch committee (that is the Chair, Treasurer, Secretary and Support Officer) should hold a copy of the Branch Handbook. Ask them to let you borrow a copy, as it contains lots of useful advice on running a branch.

Try to get along to a Welcome Aboard training day, which is held in each region every year. Welcome Aboard is an induction session for new committee members, where you can learn about the Society as a whole, what we do, the roles of branches, regions and the MS National Centre, how committees work and where to go for support and advice. It's a really valuable day, and a great opportunity to meet people from other branches in your area.

If you have any concerns you can email Local Support.