A large motor neurone disease (MND) charity is considering expanding into Scotland, despite a fellow organisation in the country warning against the move.
MND Association – which operates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland – will decide whether to expand its services into Scotland at an annual general meeting in two weeks.
In a statement, MND Scotland, a smaller charity which described the two as “sister organisations”, has warned that the move would “dismantle a successful partnership” built on “trust and mutual respect” for nearly half a decade.
MND Scotland said it believes the larger organisation’s expansion plans are related to financial challenges the Scottish charity faced last year.
It was left “fighting for survival” after its former chief executive and chair departed in October 2025 while it was navigating “an extremely challenging financial environment.”
The charity said it made some “tough decisions” post-October 2025 and appointed new trustees.
“Significant progress has been made in financial management and governance,” the charity added. “We are currently on track.”
MND Scotland said its recipients would be “best served” by the current model of collaboration, rather than the larger charity expanding and becoming its “competitor”.
MND Association board backs expansion
MND Association stated earlier this month that its board believed that the charity should apply to become UK-wide.
“Our board has given this matter serious consideration,” it said in a statement.
“If our members say yes, we will apply for charity registration in Scotland and develop a plan to offer people in Scotland access to our services.”
It said that even if members voted in favour on 8 July, pending regulatory approval, it would continue to partner MND Scotland, among other organisations.
In a statement to Civil Society, a charity spokesperson said: “We're asking our members to vote on changing our [legal] articles.
“We want to ensure people affected by MND in Scotland have access to the same level of support services we already provide to people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.”
MND Association recorded a total income of £40.8m in 2024, above its spending of £33.9m.
Meanwhile, MND Scotland recorded an income of £2.84m in the year to March 2025, below its expenditure of £3.65m.
The smaller charity has reported operating deficits since 2022, its listing shows, while the MND Association’s income has been above its spending since 2020.
