A charity in Stone has celebrated its tenth anniversary of working with people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the town.
And the charity starts its second decade with a new name – SAMS, the local branch of the Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre, is now the MS-UK Staffordshire Centre.
The Stone centre is part of national charity Multiple Sclerosis UK (MS-UK). Town mayor Mike Shaw and his wife Sue joined charity members, friends and business supporters at the centre on the Whitebridge Estate to celebrate the launch.
The charity’s first base was the Walton Inn (now The Wayfarer) before moving to Stone railway station and on to its current base on the Whitebridge Estate.
Peter Marenghi, who was diagnosed with MS in his 20s and is now a full-time regional fundraiser for the charity, said: “It is a great achievement for a charity to have survived 10 years in these difficult economic times.”
Current chairman Mike Clayton said “It is important to be part of a national team to help put our message over better so more people get to know about the centre, and to raise the awareness of MS.”
The Centre provides a variety of exercise sessions for those with MS and other life-limiting conditions. On Monday there is Tai Chi between 11am and 1pm, and on Wednesdays from 11am to 3.30pm there is a Wellbeing Wednesdays session, which includes motivational movement and physiotherapy. On the fourth Friday of the month there is a drop-in café between 11am and 1.30pm where visitors can catch up on all the latest news and information about events in the area.
MS-UK produces a bi-monthly New Pathways magazine, advice leaflets and a telephone support line with counselling service, plus an award-winning website at www.ms-uk.org/staffs to help any of the 100,000 people nationally suffering from MS.
Volunteers are always very welcome to assist with fundraising activities and people can drop in at any of the sessions – no appointments are necessary. The Staffordshire Centre is at Unit 22b on the Whitebridge Estate. Call 01785 611144.
