The Charity was founded in 1964 by Robert Walker, a person with MS, as the Multiple Sclerosis Research Fund to overcome a lack of knowledge and awareness about the disease.
The MS Research Fund was incorporated as a charity in 1969 – by this point had already raised £50,000 to fund medical research into Multiple Sclerosis.
By the 1970s, Walker’s work had caught the attention of several famous names, such as Bing Crosby, Sir Michael Redgrave, Eric Sykes, Sir Ralph Richardson, Norman Wisdom and Sir Alec Guinness, all of whom went on to become patrons.
Robert worked tirelessly for the charity until his death in 1977 at the age of 46. Since this time, staff and trustees have continued Robert’s vision, significantly expanding the work carried out to help as many people affected by MS as possible.
In the 1980’s the charity relocated its administrative base from Cheshire to the North East of England before changing its name in 1999 to the Multiple Sclerosis Research and Relief Fund to more accurately reflect its work.
2002 saw another relocation, with the charity shifting its primary centre of operations from South Shields to Benmar House in Morpeth, where it remains to this day.
Following further research, MSRRF has branched out to provide facilities, activities and therapies throughout the North East. The main facilities centre at Benmar House is complemented by Outreach programmes stretching from Durham to Berwick and many in between. The charity has also initiated its grant making activity, aiming to strengthen support to people throughout the entire United Kingdom whose lives were affected by MS outside that offered by statutory bodies.
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