Volunteering with the MS Society can be fun, rewarding, a great way to meet new people and an excellent opportunity to use your existing skills or develop new ones. You don’t have to be someone affected by MS to volunteer for the MS Society.

There are so many ways you can volunteer to help the MS Society and people affected by MS.

Volunteers have a huge input into the day to day activities of the members attending the Resource Centre in Belfast. Roles in which volunteers are involved include aromatherapy, help at meal times, driving coaches and craft assistants.

We have 15 branches throughout Northern Ireland that would also like to hear from you.

If you're interested in volunteering or would like to find out more, please complete an Application for volunteers.doc (118 kb) or contact us.

We will be in touch with you when we receive your application form and will deal with your request as quickly as possible.

Grace's Story

  I was 37 years old, married with three teenage sons when I received the news I had multiple sclerosis – a condition of the central nervous system which causes the body’s immune system to attack myelin, a substance surrounding nerve fibres, causing confusion and delay in messages from the brain and spine.

MS can cause a variety of symptoms including loss of balance and mobility, extreme fatigue, depression and mood swings. There is currently no cure and few effective treatments, but with the right support and information people can continue their lives.

Grace, aged 48 from Belfast, was chosen as one of the faces for a national campaign to raise awareness of the condition.

“I was excited to take part in the advert and was willing to share my story to help others. For me, taking medical retirement at 37 years of age wasn’t great and my life has gone in a different direction to what I expected, but it’s not the end of the world,” Grace explains.

“I now volunteer a few days a week in the MS Society’s offices in Northern Ireland and it’s something I really enjoy.”

The majority of people I meet view MS as a very negative condition. It annoys me that so many people think you’ll automatically end up using a wheelchair all the time and that the condition will progress rapidly. I might get by using a mixture of my stick and scooter for the rest of my life – none of us know how things will turn out but you must remain positive.
 

Pauline's Story

  I am 44 years old and have had MS for 20 years. I am married and have one child.

Originally from County Londonderry, I have lived in Belfast for the past 25 years. After a career in IT, I now occupy my time as a mother and as a volunteer at the Resource Centre, where I run a Computer class, help organise exercise activities for the Day Centre members and help with fundraising activities and awareness events.

I am also involved in the creation of the new Belfast branch and believe the branch to be a positive step for the MS Society in Northern Ireland. The Belfast branch will lead to even more local support for our members and their families.
 

Application for volunteers.doc
MSSNI Volunteer application form