About Nesta

Nesta is an innovation foundation. For us, innovation means turning bold ideas into reality and changing lives for the better. We use our expertise, skills and funding in areas where there are big challenges facing society.

Website: www.shift.ms

Started: 2007

Based: Leeds

Users can share, support and interact with each other throughout the site, which hosts a number of different forums, as well as a magazine and video upload page.

It provides a resource page providing links to further information and personal stories from people with MS. As a social network it also allows people to connect with others who have, or have an interest in, MS.

Founded by George Pepper, a media planner and buyer, who was diagnosed with MS at 22, and  Freddie Yauner, a design lecturer who serves as the site's creative director, the website has attracted 60,000 unique visitors since its launch in 2009 and secured over 2,000 registered members.

Shift.ms raised a great deal of its own funding through personal networks and fundraising activity including sponsored endurance events such as the Great North Run. It has also received a Peoples Award Grant, for public engagement in bio-medical Science from the Wellcome Trust.