Welcome to your July update from the World Muscle Society

Hello and welcome to another newsletter from the WMS. 

With WMS 2023 just weeks away, you can imagine how busy we are completing registrations, finalising programme details and preparing to welcome almost 1,000 people to Charleston, South Carolina in the USA. 

You'll find some important reminders below, but the most important reminder is to register if you haven't already! Like last year, we will be running our in-person programme through our virtual platform, so even if you're unable to travel, you can still join in.

Another congress-related task on my list, and one I'm particularly looking forward to, is reviewing the letters of intent to bid to host the 2027 Congress. 

We'll be announcing the 2027 destination from the Charleston Congress. It will be our 31st annual event, taking us into our fourth decade!

Away from Congress news, I urge all members to complete our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion survey before the deadline of 8th September. there are more details of the survey below, but it's really important that the WMS is an inclusive and modern society, where members can learn from one another, support one another and feel part of an organisation where they can play a full role, regardless of where they are from or their background. 

And if one survey isn't enough you'll see that we've added a feedback survey to this and all future newsletters. you can also find the feedback survey on our website. If you want to share your thoughts on any aspect of our communications, please fill it in. 

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Survey

Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion survey asks you, our members whether you believe the WMS is a safe and supportive organisation, how well we prioritise diversity and inclusion and what we could be doing better. 

To guarantee anything you share in the survey remains confidential, we are running the survey through our EDI consultants, Utopia. Utopia will manage and analyse all data on our behalf. In addition, Utopia will not have access to personal information such as names or email addresses so no responses can be traced back to specific members.

All results reported to the WMS will be anonymised to ensure no identifiable characteristics can be linked with an individual’s responses. Furthermore, the WMS is not subject to rules relating to Freedom of Information, so members can be assured all primary data will only be seen by Utopia. Dr Adrienne Milner, who recently held the role of Research Ethics Officer within the College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences at Brunel University London, will be the primary person responsible for data anonymity, confidentiality, and security.

If you have any questions or concerns in advance of this survey please do contact Dr Milner (adrienne@weareutopia.co).

The deadline for completion of the EDI survey is 8th September. We will share the results of the survey towards the end of the year along with details of any actions we’re taking as a result. Our aim is to make the WMS inclusive for everyone.

Within the WMS, the survey is the responsibility of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Lindsay Alfano is the Chair of that committee and urges anyone who would like to discuss the survey or provide feedback to contact her by email.