Challenge 35 is a virtual challenge of your choosing, based around the number 35. It has been set up to raise money for the Chilterns MS Centre so we can continue to treat and support people affected by multiple sclerosis. Your challenge can be done at your own pace allowing you to fit it in around home-working, childcare and everyday life, whilst following the guidelines around social distancing.
With COVID-19 impacting our entire events and fundraising programme and reducing our income by at least 40%, we’ve created Challenge 35 as a way for you to get involved in a fundraising initiative without leaving the comfort of your own home (unless you want to!).
Virtual events are a fantastic way for people to continue supporting their local charities and we need your support now, more than ever, to ensure we can continue to be here to support our members and their loved ones on their MS journey now, and into the future.
Anything is possible in Challenge 35. Start something new, push yourself harder or give something up - the only limit is your imagination!
At the Chilterns MS Centre we believe that people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) deserve to lead happier and healthier lives. Our mission is to help them achieve this by empowering them to manage their symptoms through long-term physical, practical and emotional support. We also want to be an embracing community of support to everyone affected by MS, and so offer our services to both those with MS and their families and carers, for as long as they need.
Our services include physiotherapy, complementary therapy, occupational therapy, counselling, oxygen treatment and more. They are available for free to everyone affected by MS, from the person living with MS to their families and carers too. We offer long-term treatment and support that compliments the services of other health and social care providers.
We also run a number of social groups and workshops, giving our members a chance to ‘have a go’ at things they normally wouldn’t. Our carers support group meet regularly for a friendly chat (and cake!) and our atrium (the heart of our Centre) is often full of members who have come to socialise with other like-minded people in a place where they feel safe to be themselves.
Our holistic approach and wide-ranging support makes a huge difference to the health and wellbeing of people affected by MS. By taking a personalised approach, our therapists are able to target and improve specific symptoms and help people to achieve their goals, no matter how small they seem. This can increase confidence, independence and mobility, enabling people to continue working and enjoying family life and social activities. Group exercises and activities have additional social benefits - enabling people affected by MS to support and encourage each other and helping to reduce the stress and isolation that can affect people living with a long-term condition.
Julie, Member of the Centre since 1999
Clinical Nurse Specialist, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust
We’re very proud of the support we offer to our MS community, but this level of support costs over £1 million every year.
Our Centre is a lifeline for those with MS and by taking part in this Challenge, or any of the Centre’s fundraising activities, you are helping to ensure we can continue to be there for those that need us. So thank you.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a long-term condition that affects the central nervous system. This neurological condition affects around 1 in 600 people in the UK, most of them working-age adults, and there is currently no cure. MS can have many different effects on individuals and their families. The increasing level of disability and symptoms experienced by many people can affect working, family and social life. Disease modifying drugs can slow down the progression of the condition but some forms of MS don’t respond to them and often people choose not to take them because of the side effects. The therapeutic treatments that the Centre provides are an effective way for people with MS to manage their symptoms on a long-term basis.
