The Leeds and District ME Group is governed by constitution (adopted 15th February 1997 and amended at the first AGM 27th April 1998). Its address is: 51 North Park Avenue, Roundhay, Leeds, LS8 1HS.
Bankers: HSBC, PO Box 105, 33 Park Row, Leeds, LS1 1LD
The Executive Committee during the year to 31st December 2000 was as follows:
| Jane Ashworth | Newsletter Editor | |
| Tamsin Bailey | Grant Funding | co-opted Sept 2000 |
| Valerie Bloom | Pamphlet librarian | resigned May 2000 |
| Helen Casey | Tape Librarian | |
| Peter Clavane | Book/Pamphlet Librarian | co-opted Feb/elected May 2000 |
| Anne Cogan | Various | resigned May 2000 |
| Tim Cogan | Treasurer | resigned May 2000 |
| Bernie Howarth | Membership Secretary | |
| Nick Iredale | Secretary/Website | |
| David Johnson | Treasurer | co-opted Dec 1999/elected May 2000 |
| Mary Lance | Support Contact | |
| Chris M | Theatre Trip Contact | |
| Simon O | Chair/Support Contact | |
| David Ratcliffe | Grant Funding | co-opted Sept 2000 |
| Anne Thackray | Minutes Secretary | |
| Jenny Thompson | Support Contact | resigned June 2000 |
| Ann Wells | Support Contact | elected May 2000 |
| Julie Whittle | Secretary | co-opted Feb/elected May 2000 |
| Richard Yeoman | Grant Funding | elected May/resigned Oct 2000 |
New Officers of the Group are elected annually, by vote of the committee, immediately after the AGM. There was a big turnover on the committee this year and we would like to thank all those who have stood down for the time, effort and energy they have devoted to the group. Although she has resigned from the committee, Jenny Thompson will continue in her role as support contact. Nick Iredale resigned as secretary in May 2000 but will remain on the committee and will continue to run our web site.
The objects of the group are to support people in Leeds and District who suffer from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) promoting the relief of suffering and to advance the education of the public in all matters relating to ME and CFS. The group is run on a voluntary basis and does not employ any paid workers.
The Membership of the group has grown from 409 in January to 446 by the close of the year.
The number and range of meetings organised to provide support for local people with ME has continued to thrive. However, although meetings are flourishing in the Leeds area the number of members attending the Wakefield meetings has steadily declined throughout the year, with members opting instead to attend meetings organised in Leeds. Wakefield meetings have therefore been suspended for the time being. Our main monthly social meetings in Leeds remain popular and are well attended with, on average, about seventeen people attending each of the meetings.
Seventeen theatre trips have been organised this year through the Community Network Scheme and with forty-eight members on the theatre mailing list many have been able to take advantage of the superb quality productions on offer at The West Yorkshire Playhouse at greatly reduced prices. The social meetings and theatre trips both help to reduce the sense of social isolation which people with ME all too often experience.
After the success of the Chi Kung classes last year additional therapy sessions were introduced this year including Guided Imagery (6 sessions) and Gentle Yoga (4 sessions). A total of twenty-one people went to the Guided Imagery sessions and twenty people to Gentle Yoga.
The Healing Day for Women was held in June and once again proved popular, with over thirty people attending. The feedback from participants in all of these activities outlined the positive benefits that members had experienced.
Grants totalling £450 were gratefully received from the Joint Consultative Committee's Community Chest Fund and Community Grants for Healthy Living Fund to enable the ME Group to run these much needed and appreciated therapy sessions. We are also grateful to Leeds City Council for allowing us to use their premises free of charge for the Guided Imagery and Gentle Yoga sessions.
The book and tape libraries have been well used with forty-three people borrowing a total of one hundred and twenty eight books throughout the year. Fourteen new books and two new tapes were purchased to supplement existing resources.
The telephone helpline contacts have continued to provide a valuable service to members of the group. Over two hundred calls were received and dealt with by the four voluntary support contacts.
The Group has recently taken out Professional Indemnity Insurance to provide cover for those committee members who volunteer their services as support contacts.
Following the success of last year's visits by medical students, several of our members again took part in the community placement scheme run by Leeds University School of Medicine helping to provide more awareness in the medical profession of the impact of ME/CFS on people's lives.
Randomly selected members of the group were also involved in important medical research during the year. A questionnaire was sent out with the July newsletter on behalf of Dr Lesley Cooper who is going to collate the results and use the information to provide material for the Chief Medical Officer's Working Group on ME/CFS.
The group also organised its first local consultation with Dr Sarah Myhill who is a Medical Advisor to Action for ME. This gave those who chose to attend the opportunity to consult a treatment-orientated doctor who specialises in ME/CFS. Twelve members took advantage of this each paying £60 for the part group/part individual consultation. We are grateful to The Joseph and Mary Hiley Trust for a grant of £100 to cover the cost of hiring the premises for this clinic.
The newsletter (produced three times per year) continues to be the main point of contact for the majority of our members who are either housebound or bedbound or unable to attend the local meetings to exchange information and ideas.
We are extremely grateful to The Northern Rock Foundation for their grant of £800 per annum (for a period of three years) which meets the cost of the production and distribution of the newsletter.
The group's web site continues to attract many visitors: approx. 4000 during the year. This assists us in our aim of educating the public about ME and also provides an additional way for new members to find us.
We worked with Castleford Aid For ME to host a meeting at which people with ME in the Wakefield District had a chance to meet with leaders of Wakefield Health Authority and talk about the problem of inadequate NHS provision for ME. It is hoped that this will be the first step in bringing about improvements in the understanding of ME in the Wakefield Health Authority area.
We have also continued to campaign through Leeds Community Health Council to press for increased funding for the NHS Leeds Fatigue Service.
A grant of £100 was received from the Joseph and Mary Hiley Trust to enable us to purchase computer software.
Donations made by named persons and groups and members who gave in excess of the voluntary subscription totalled £622 and box collections (predominantly at Tesco and Marks and Spencers and local businesses) amounted to £785.
A Christmas raffle organised by Kay Louise Garlick at First Direct Bank and an associated donation by HSBC raised an additional £220.
Many thanks to all who contributed money or helped us to raise funds.
The balance in the account on 31st December 2000 amounted to £3718.
We would like to thank our President Dr L M Swinburne, for the valuable support she has given the group throughout the year. Her help and advice is greatly appreciated.
Julie Whittle, Secretary
28 March 2001
On behalf of the Leeds and District ME Group
