New Member Spotlight: ME Support NI

They run monthly support group meetings, both online and in person to provide clients with help, advice and emotional support. At the meetings, they often have specialist speakers, speaking on various topics related to health, benefits advice, disability support and education. Me Support NI raise awareness of M. E by participating in workshops, events in Schools, Disability Action Exhibition, Rare Disease Partnership to name but a few. They continue to lobby the Government and the Department of Health and the Health Service Commission Board in Northern Ireland on behalf of those suffering with M.E. We provide literature and guidance to those interested in learning more about M.E.

M.E. Support NI goal is to develop their advice services to become less reliant on other third sector organisations to be able to provide the community that they support with professional advice. They provide a range of service for their members and the wider community including in person and online peer-to-peer support groups. At these events we provide a space for people affected by long term and chronic M.E (and other post viral fatigue syndromes PVFS) to come together to reduce social isolation and gain knowledge from one another to allow people to best manage their physical and mental health.

There are an estimated 7,600 people in Northern Ireland affected by M.E with their current membership and social media reach accounting for approximately 10% of this number. The charity so far has grown by word of mouth, which they take as a vote of confidence about the services they have built. Their members are approximately 70% female and covering all age groups with the majority being over the age of 40. They do support people under the age of 18 however, this tends to be by supporting their parents and carers. They hope that their advice service will allow them to better support carers of people from all ages as well as allowing to have a better skill set to support people claiming Benefits.