A support group in Huddersfield is working hard to spread the message about a debilitating condition that affects around 250,000 people in the UK.
The Kirklees and Calderdale Independent ME Support Group is for people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) which is also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, their carers and families.
People also attend if they have Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome or Long Covid and the group’s website is packed with information plus how people can get support such as for carers, benefits and blue badges.
The group’s campaigns officer, Wayne Senior, said: “ME causes people to be so chronically exhausted they do not have enough physical or mental energy. People may have to give up work or work part time.
“Some are so severely ill they cannot leave their homes and 25% are seriously or very seriously affected, leaving them bed bound, unable to properly communicate or engage in any kind of activity.”
Sunday, May 12, is ME Awareness Day and the group is urging more people with the condition to join them as they are very proactive in sharing information about ME with health professionals.
The ME group now has a partnership with the Kirklees Integrated Care Board and through this hopes to speak to medical professionals to raise awareness of ME.
Wayne said: “We hope this will lead to better support for people who have this condition and health professionals recognising it quicker.
“We also raise awareness among healthcare students at the University of Huddersfield. The students we educate could end up working in the NHS anywhere in the UK so this gives our talks the potential to benefit ME patients all over the country.
“We have created a video to help health professionals understand the condition from a personal point of view which can be found on our website.
“It’s important the Kirklees and Calderdale Independent ME Support Group helps a variety of people to better understand ME – ordinary people who may have to care for relatives who became ill with the condition after suffering a virus, the professionals who decide what support to provide locally and the students who may end up treating people with ME in the future.
“The partnerships we have developed put us in a stronger position to do this and I hope these partnerships continue and grow.”
The group has social meetings on the first Tuesday of every month at the Hive Café, 46 John William Street in Huddersfield town centre from 1.30pm to 3.30pm. The next two meetings are on June 4 and July 2.
For more information go to the Kirklees and Calderdale Independent ME Support Group at https://kcimesg.co.uk/ and they also have a Facebook page.
Written by ANDY HIRST who runs his own Yorkshire freelance journalism agency AH! PR (https://ah-pr.com/) specialising in press releases, blogging, website content and copywriting.
