AVA Magazine - September 22

20 AVA | September 2022
Spotlight|
Aberdeen Independent
Multiple Sclerosis (AIMS)
Last year, a group of people within the multiple
sclerosis community took the decision to
break away from the MS Society to create
a new group, Aberdeen Independent Multiple
Sclerosis (AIMS) who now run the exercise and
social activities previously provided by the MS
Society. AIMS was established on 16th June 2021
as an unincorporated body and after applying
for charitable status they received approval
from the Scottish charity regulator, formally
becoming a charity on 30th August.
AIMS is run by a small team of volunteers and
has five trustees. Ad-hoc people are called on
to assist, mainly when face to face activities
take place and they have the support of friends
and family members to assist at larger events
when appropriate. Services offered are mainly
online and generally run by qualified personnel.
Chair-based Exercise: With a face-to-face chairbased
exercise session operating in Westhill on
a Thursday morning, Ian leads a digital class at
the same time for those who are unable to get
to the live session and he has no qualification
other than enthusiasm.
AIMS has a geographic spread of participants,
reaching as far as London for exercise sessions
and New York for yoga. Others join us digitally
from Coventry, Dundee, Edinburgh, London
and Portknockie.
Mindfulness is run on a Friday morning which
gives an opportunity for participants to relax
their minds ahead of the weekend.
Art and Crafts: AIMS runs a crafts session
on Monday afternoon and an arts class
on a Wednesday afternoon. These attract
enthusiastic amateurs who are interested in arts
and crafts and are as much a social occasion
as hard work. There is a qualified leader on hand
to offer assistance to anyone requiring help with
a project.