HERE TO HELP
ABOUT M.E SUPPORT NORTHERN IRELAND
M.E Support Northern Ireland was founded by Antoinette Christie in 2004, following her son’s diagnosis with severe M.E at the age of 11. It became clear that there was little in the way of advice, support and treatment for people with ME and support for their careers.
We began as most small charities do, working out of our family home, under the auspice of “FamilyFights4ME”, organising fundraisers around Belfast, to raise money for Biomedical Research into ME, in the hope that it would lead to more effective treatment for sufferers.
We have raised over £20,000 for ME Research UK and continue to maintain close links to the charity. Dr Vance Spence, Chair Person of ME Research UK is now our Scientific Advisor.
Antoinette and her sister Jeanette travelled to London on several occasions, attending conferences on ME and in 2009 also attended the Judicial Review of the NICE Guidelines and were a very visible presence outside the court, having carried a banner of photographs of severe ME Patients which was placed outside the Royal Courts of Justice. We also went on also to participate in the book Lost Voices, which documents the lives of people with severe ME.
As a result of our fundraising and awareness campaign people started to contact Antoinette for help and support. Which resulted us setting up our first ME Support Group Meeting in 2011, in a local bar. Since then the support group has grown from strength to strength, with ever increasing numbers attending and greater demands on our services.
OUR COMMITTEE
In 2012, we formed our first committee and were officially constituted and applied for Charity Status, which was granted on the 6th of February 2013. Shortly following this Dr Nigel Speight came on-board as our patron.
M.E Support Northern Ireland have been instrumental through the ME Steering Group and with the assistance of the Patient Client Council (PCC) in having a Consultant Physician Post for ME filled (details waiting to be confirmed).
M.E Support Northern Ireland does not receive any funding from government for the services we provide. Our committee are all volunteers and either have ME themselves or care for someone who has ME.
M.E SUPPORT NORTHERN IRELAND HAS CONTINUED TO HAVE AN EXTENSIVE TRACK RECORD FOR:
Providing Support, Advice and Information for People with M.E and their families
Providing Support group meetings on monthly basis
Carrying out home visits to the severely affected
Raising awareness
Providing information to schools in Northern Ireland
Providing information to GPs/Pharmacies
Lobbying for equitable services for M.E patients