In May 1997, Sarah Matheson, who had been diagnosed with MSA in 1993, and a group of close friends met to discuss the possibility of establishing a support group for individuals diagnosed with MSA. This meeting laid the foundation for what would become the MSA Trust.
Sarah’s Wood was opened on 13 June 2017 to mark 20 years of support and research by the Trust. It was inspired by Hugh Matheson, brother of our founder Sarah Matheson, as a symbol of the hope and support within the MSA community.
Located in Sherwood Forest on the Thoresby Estate in Nottinghamshire, the wood stands as a lasting reminder of hope for everyone affected by MSA.
In 2017, the Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) Trust marked 20 years of supporting people with MSA by hosting its first Tree Planting Day, where members of the community came to Sarah’s Wood to plant Sherwood Oak saplings in support or memory of loved ones.
On July 21, 2018, we hosted our first Summer Social event at Sarah’s Wood, graciously invited by our Trustee, Hugh Matheson. During this event, we unveiled a new sign to help visitors locate Sarah’s Wood and learn more about MSA. The afternoon featured tea and cake at Hugh Matheson’s residence, and discussions about the future of the Wood.
In 2019, we began a project enabling our MSA community to make a permanent mark in the growing woodland. The Path to a Cure is a path that leads to our founder, Sarah Matheson’s tree, and is made up of engraved bricks. Each brick carries the name of someone from the MSA community.
The path represents our shared hope to understand MSA better and one day find a cure. As more people take part, the path will continue to grow, becoming longer and more inclusive.
In 2022, the Multiple System Trust celebrated 25 years of supporting people with MSA.
In 2023, we hosted our largest Tree Planting event to date, welcoming over 120 attendees and planting more than 250 oak saplings. It was a special day where members of the MSA community could connect with each other, meet our staff and the Thoresby foresters, and plant trees in memory or support of their loved ones.
We aim to plant more oak saplings and expand Sarah’s Wood, creating a place for reflection and remembrance for years to come. As more saplings are planted, the woods will continue to grow, becoming a lasting symbol of hope for the MSA community.
In 2023, the MSA Trust was chosen as the charity partner for the prestigious Cereals event, a prominent farming exhibition held at Thoresby Park. We hosted a stand in the heart of Sarah’s Wood, surrounding Sarah’s tree.
This incredible fundraising opportunity raised over £30,000 and allowed us to raise awareness about MSA to an audience of 20,000 people who were previously unfamiliar with the condition.
In 2025, we updated the Path to a Cure and added plain spacer bricks between the engraved bricks to make the inscriptions easier to read. The path was also improved to ensure full wheelchair accessibility.
