Community blogs

Mary Phillip is a former English international footballer and England captain. She’s now a voluntary manager and coach at Peckham Town. Mary was diagnosed with relapsing MS in 2017.

Home working felt like a relief at times and at other times felt lonely and never-ending.

At this point in time, I can sense the mixed feelings about everything re-opening, masks coming off and that potential return to the office.

As I lay here in the sunshine, soaking up as much vitamin D as I can, I contemplate doing some exercise.

I have really mixed feelings about the lifting of most Covid restrictions in England this week.

In 2006 I had optic neuritis, and was pretty much blind for three months in one eye. Then in 2008 over a few months I lost all feeling down one side of my body.

The onset of my MS was quick and aggressive. It started one afternoon in 2017. I own horses and as I was mucking out the stables my thigh went totally numb.

At the beginning of the month I had a much needed opportunity to be myself. I hadn't been feeling amazing emotionally for a little while.

MS has taught me to empathise with those around me. To understand what people have going on in their lives that mean they act the way that they do.

You could say that I’ve been living with MS – because of my sister – for 40 odd years.

Audre Lorde the iconic black, queer disabled writer once said: “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognise accept and celebrate those differences.”

I didn’t realise that there was anything wrong for years. I got optic neuritis when I was about 24 or 25, but no one had a clue what was going on. It was 35 years later, in 1990, when I had an MRI scan that I was finally diagnosed with secondary progressive MS.

I’m so glad to be part of Team Stop MS. I feel privileged be part of something that’s going to help future generations and also people living with MS today.

Mark Webb is starring in a new ad campaign to encourage people with long-term health conditions to get active – We Are Undefeatable. He tells us about his journey to becoming a ‘hunk in one bicep’…

JJ reflects on what pride means to her. During Pride month and every day.

What does Father’s Day mean to me? Once upon a time it was quite a sanguine affair which has long-since evolved and bonded a relationship between myself and my son.

MS: I’m writing this to you. My Dad was diagnosed with you 22 years ago.

Louise lives with MS and is a Befriending Volunteer on our Pontio project in Wales. She’s been supporting Pam, who lives with advanced MS, since 2019.

York, Leeds, Harrogate and Teeside MS Society groups joined forces during the first lockdown. York group coordinator Tony Cardis and Leeds volunteer Jag Parekh chat about what they achieved and what motivates them to volunteer.

I recently started volunteering as a Befriending Volunteer at the MS Helpline. It’s something I’d have really benefitted from when I was diagnosed at the beginning of 2020. I felt completely lost and talking to someone on a regular basis would have been really helpful.

My first contact with the MS Society was when I got in touch to ask how they were going to best represent Black people in the future