Volunteer for the MSA Trust

Could you lend a hand? With only a small team of staff working tirelessly to raise funds, increase awareness and support people affected by MSA, we are very grateful to volunteers who give their time to support the Trust and get involved in our work.

How to get involved

Below are brief descriptions of the current volunteering opportunities at the MSA Trust. For more information on the roles and to apply please contact volunteer@msatrust.org.uk. If you have a particular interest or area you feel you can help with that isn’t detailed below, please contact us for a chat.

Volunteer Roles at the MSA Trust

Cheerpoint Volunteers

Cheerpoint Volunteers work alongside MSA Trust staff to set up welcome points, cheer stations and post-event meet-ups at events like the London Marathon and the Great North Run. They spot our runners, cheer them as they pass, and bring lots of energy and enthusiasm to a special day. Anyone can support the Trust as a Cheerpoint Volunteer, even if you do not know anyone in the race.

On the day, you might be asked to

• Help staff set up cheerpoints along a race route
• Welcome runners and their supporters
• Join other staff and volunteers in cheering runners as they pass
• Meet runners and their supporters at the post-event meet up
• Assist MSA Trust Staff to make sure things run safely and smoothly

Upcoming events are shown below. If you are interested please get in touch.

• Great North Run: Sunday, 7th of September 2025, Newcastle

Helping Hands Volunteers

Helping Hands Volunteers share their skills in a variety of ways, depending on the time they have available. This role can include:

• Raising awareness by speaking at a local event
• Handing out leaflets at local hospitals/ hospices
• One-off bucket collections
• Desk-based work such as helping us to research relevant information and services

Sarah’s Wood Volunteer

We began planting Sarah’s Wood in June 2017, to mark the Trust’s 20th anniversary. The Wood is in Thorsby Park in Nottingham Forrest. We need volunteers to help out at our annual Summer Social and Tree Planting Days.

Tree Planting Volunteers work alongside MSA Trust staff to welcome attendees, help with planting saplings and build a warm and memorable day. Our next Tree Planting Day is on 29th of November 2025.

On the day, you might be asked to

• Meet and greet visitors, direct them from the car park to the tree planting area
• Help Trust members to plant saplings, following guidance from the foresters
• Serve light refreshment to guests
• Help with Christmas card and merchandise sales

Volunteering with an MSA Trust Support Group

In-Person Support Groups

Our Support Groups provide essential, local help to people affected by MSA. These Groups bring together people affected by MSA in an environment of mutual support and friendship, to help tackle the sense of isolation felt by having a rare disease. We are limited in the number of Groups we can effectively manage but we are constantly reviewing our locations based on member interest. Please contact us if you are interested in setting up or helping at an in-person group.

Support Group Leaders – Our Support Groups could not run without our volunteer Support Group Leaders. They help us with the local administration for the groups and are our hosts and representatives at the meetings. The role can include booking the meeting space in conjunction with Trust, arranging refreshments on the day and arranging talks from local professionals.

We are currently looking for Support Group Leaders for specific locations (please note our locations do change depending on the needs of our Members)

• Bristol
• Worthing, West Sussex
• Berkhampstead, Hertfordshire
• Etton, East Yorkshire
• Dublin, Republic of Ireland
• Scottish Borders, Scotland

Remote Volunteering Opportunities

User Information Panel Members – As a member-led organisation we greatly value the contribution of people with MSA, Carers and healthcare professionals to the review process for our published information materials. This includes our ever-expanding factsheets, published guides for members and healthcare professionals and one-off projects. User Information Panel Members proof-read and give feedback on new materials and as part of the review process for existing documentation.

Carer Resource Review – We are looking for an a member of our community to help us update the wider Carer resources we signpost people to on our site. This would involve checking if the resources we currently have on our site are still appropriate and researching additional resources we should make our members aware of.

Local Hub Volunteer – Our local hub is our resource for letting people know about all the services in their area they may not be aware of. Keeping this varied up to date can be a challenge as so many organisations can change over time. Volunteers check if the listings on the site are still up to date and help us update them if they are not. They also help research additional resources that should be included.

Already a volunteer?

If you’re already volunteering with us, you can find all of the information and resources you need by contacting us by phone or by emailing volunteer@msatrust.org.uk.

“Our volunteers are at the heart of our work and at the heart of every community so that people affected by MSA receive the support they need. We are committed to ensuring volunteers received the best possible experience whilst volunteering and that they feel fulfilled and valued.”
Karen Walker – MSA Trust CEO