THE Motor Neurone Disease Association is looking for volunteers from Somerset to support people with a terminal illness by becoming association visitors.
The charity wants to recruit volunteers to provide emotional support to people with motor neurone disease (MND) and help them access health and care services.
MND is a neurological condition that affects the brain and spinal cord and attacks the nerves that control movement so muscles no longer work.
The condition can progress rapidly, and it affects a person's ability to speak, eat and drink, and breathe.
Jane Godfrey started volunteering with the MND Association as an association visitor in 2019.
Sharing her experiences, she said: "Volunteering as an association visitor has given me something to focus on since retiring from full-time employment.
"I particularly enjoy making use of my skills to build up a rapport with individuals living with MND, and to support them and their families in a variety of ways.
"Most rewarding of all is being available as a listening ear."
The role is flexible and can fit around volunteers' other commitments.
No previous experience is required as extensive training and ongoing support will be provided.
Andy Graham, MND Association area support coordinator, said: "Association visitors provide invaluable support to individuals living with MND and their families.
"It’s a role that suits volunteers over the age of eighteen who are good listeners and good problem solvers."
The MND Association was founded in 1979 by a group of volunteers with experience of living with or caring for someone with the condition.
It is the only national charity in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland to focus on MND care, research, and campaigning.
The association funds and promotes research that leads to new understanding and treatments with the aim of finding a cure for MND.
It also campaigns and raises awareness of MND to ensure the needs of people with the condition and the people who care for them are recognised and addressed.
To learn more about becoming an association visitor for the Motor Neurone Disease Association, or about other voluntary roles with the charity, email andy.graham@mndassociation.org.
For more information about MND and the MND Association, visit www.mndassociation.org.
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