MS Research Australia Named 2017 Telstra Charity  

MS Research Australia – a not-for-profit organisation that funds and collaborates on research into multiple sclerosis (MS) – has won the 2017 Australian Charity Award at the 25th annual Telstra Business Awards.

Telstra’s awards ambassador Kevin Russell said the 2017 national winners represented the best in business and charities in Australia. 


“The 2017 Telstra Business Awards winners are proving that innovation, technology and the courage to take risks, enables them to become a leader in their field,” Russell said. 


MS Research Australia, based in NSW, along with Tasmanian not-for-profit organisation BIG hART, which deals with social disadvantage, were both in the running for the major Telstra Business Award.

The overall national Telstra Business Award winner was South Australian company GenWise Health, an online clinic platform that enables GPs to save time, improve efficiencies and connect with the medical community.

Russell said the celebration of 25 years was a major milestone for the Telstra Business Awards, which continued to honour the achievements of Australia’s best small and medium businesses and more recently charities. 


“The Telstra Business Awards give business and charity owners the chance to reflect on their achievements, assess their organisation’s strengths and weaknesses, access unparalleled networking opportunities, pursue new ventures and build their profile,” he said. 


“The awards also present a unique opportunity for charities and businesses to celebrate and inspire others to be innovative and successful.”

According to MS Research Australia, as many as two people a day are diagnosed with MS.  

CEO Dr Matthew Miles said: “Until we find a cure – and we’ve made incredible progress towards that – we will devote our attention to ensuring we are completely and utterly aligned with the needs of people with MS.

“We are at a tipping point and the finish line could potentially be in sight.”

Other state charity finalists included:

• Youngcare in Queensland – a charity aiming to bring change to the disability housing sector;

• Victoria’s SleepBus – the world’s first charity converting old buses into temporary overnight accommodation for homeless people founded by Simon Rowe;
• The Northern Territory’s Riding for the Disabled in the Top End – a program of sporting, therapeutic, educational and recreational equestrian activities designed to develop the abilities of people with disabilities; and
• Western Australia’s Shalom House, a self-funded men’s rehabilitation centre whose mission is to restore the lives of those suffering from substance abuse, anxiety and emotional trauma.

See the full list of 2017 winners here.