Support Groups

The rarity of Multiple System Atrophy means many of our members will not have met someone else affected by the condition. We facilitate ways for members to interact and share experiences and questions, both online and in-person. Our groups are open to anyone affected by MSA including carers, family members and health and care professionals.

The best way to stay up to date with our groups is to make sure you are registered with the trust – contact us at support@msatrust.org.uk if you have any further questions about it. If you are planning on attending your first meeting we ask you to look at our Support Group Guidance which can be found at the bottom of this page.

Online Support Groups

Our Digital Support Groups take place on Zoom and are attended by an MSA Trust Health Care Specialist. They are loosely arranged by region, with each region meeting around once every 2 months. Though the areas covered can be quite large, this gives members the best chance of meeting others with similar local experiences to them. It also means the Health Care Specialist in attendance will be the same each time and someone you can become familiar with.

Digital Coffee Morning

Our Digital Coffee Mornings take place online on the last Thursday of the month. They are more social in nature than our regular support groups and do not have a Health Care Specialist in attendance. They are open to any of our members affected by MSA.

Please see the Support Group Calendar for the date of your next meeting.

In-Person Support Groups

Our regional Support Groups are run by dedicated volunteers around the UK and Ireland or by our MSA Health Care Specialists. They meet between two to four times during the year, depending on each group.

“In person meetings are so special because they give you the opportunity to physically shake hands or give someone a hug, rather than just seeing their faces. Just being in with other fellow sufferers and the laughter that surrounds everyone really lifts you and makes all the effort of getting there so worthwhile. For me, it is better than any medicine I take physically and I always come away feeling happy and invigorated and looking forward to the next one.

Also, of course it is great to be able to speak to a nurse specialist face to face as well and we are very grateful to them and The Trust for all that they do for us.” Jo and Steve – Support Group Attendees”

You can find your nearest support group by checking the Support Group Map or by using the Support Group Calendar. If you would like to attend please contact our office for more information. Alternatively, if you register with the Trust we will send you regular information and invitations to Support Groups in your local area.

We know that attending a Support Group is not always possible so please do get in touch with us directly if you are having any issues. If you are struggling with attending a Support Group due to distance or practical issues getting to the venue, please get in touch and we will do our best to help.

We rely on our wonderful volunteers to keep these groups going, if you’d like to find out more about how you could support your local meetings please click here.