MK MEG is a small self-help group, run mostly by people with ME/CFS/PVFS/FMS,
with the help of a few carers. The group is affiliated to Action for ME.
We meet regularly - most meetings are informal get-togethers, where we chat and catch up on each other's news, and share information, moral support, etc. Sometimes we have a speaker, on a subject related to ME or on a topic of general interest - topics so far have included everything from Welfare Rights to bird-watching. We ask speakers to keep their talks fairly short, as we know that members sometimes cannot concentrate for long periods. We meet at Wolverton Community Centre, Stratford Road, Wolverton.
Our meetings are from 7.30 to 9.00 pm on the third Tuesday in every month (except December).
For details of our next meetings, and information about up-coming and recent events, go to
What's New?
If enough members are interested, we also aim to organise the occasional group outing or social event.
Those members who wish to contact others directly by telephone (whether or not
they are able to come to meetings) can have their numbers passed to other
members in a similar position. We will never
give out your phone number without your permission. Those of us who are online
also use the internet to keep in touch with each other.
We produce a newsletter for members 6 times a year (in February, April, June, August, October and December) - this can now be sent by post or emailed, according to preference. Contributions are always welcomed.
We have also produced a "public" newsletter, which can be distributed to doctors' waiting rooms, libraries etc; this consists of articles from previous group newsletters, but does not mention members' personal details. The "public" newsletter will be updated annually.
Our Committee also sends out regular chatty letters, keeping members
informed about meetings, speakers, etc. as well as their own news.
All members are welcome to borrow ME/CFS/PVFS/FMS related books, videos and
tapes from our library, which is kept at the Wolverton Community Centre.
As a group, we also try to promote awareness of the illnesses. We do this by
sending information to local doctors and handing out leaflets at various events
in the city, and by placing articles in local newspapers, parish newletters etc, when possible.
We are a friendly, informal group, and are very much aware that some members are restricted in what they are able to do, while others wish to be more actively involved. Whatever your level of ability, you are assured of a warm welcome, and there is a good chance that another member of the group will know exactly what you are going through - it's always good to feel that you're not alone in coping with this illness. Membership is open to anyone living within Milton Keynes or its surrounding area affected by, or with an interest in, ME or its related conditions.
The annual subscription is currently £10 for new members, with a reduction for those who join part-way through the year, and £7.50 for renewal of membership by the due date - this covers both the person with ME/CFS/PVFS/FMS and his/her
partner/carer/etc where applicable. Anyone unable to afford the subscription
charge may have it waived, or pay in instalments, at the discretion of the Committee. If you are not
yet sure whether to join us, you are very welcome to come along to one of our
monthly evening meetings and "check us out" before deciding.
MK MEG believes that in every area of its activity and influence it should
ensure equal opportunities for all. In pursuing its aims, MK MEG will be active
in promoting fair treatment and equality of opportunity for all individuals
regardless of age, disability, ethnic background, family status, gender, race,
religion, sexual orientation or social status.
We have a Committee to deal with matters such as booking speakers, fund-raising, mailing information to members and keeping our financial affairs in order.
The Committee consists of a maximum of 9 members, and is elected for the year at the Annual General Meeting in July, although extra members may be co-opted at any time.
The Committee usually meets once a month, and Committee members stay in touch on-line between meetings. The Committee deals with membership information
and ideas for fundraising, and drafted a constitution for the group,
which was accepted by the members at the AGM in 2001. We are also working towards applying for registration as a charity.
For more information about what the Committee does, and how jobs are shared between members, go to
Committee
When the group was re-formed in 1999 we received a start-up grant from the Council of Voluntary Organisations. Over the past three years we have received funding from several sources. For example, the Stony Stratford Lions' Club held a sponsored swimarathon and a race night in 2001, from which we received part of the proceeds.
The Rotary Club funded printing of some posters for the group, and they also adopted MK MEG as one of 10 charities they supported in 2002. In July 2002 we received £500 from them, from the proceeds of their 2002 Swimathon. The Milton Keynes Society of Artists devoted the profits from refreshments and a raffle at their April 2001 art exhibition to the group. In addition, in November 2001 we took part in the Community Foundation Car Raffle, and our efforts raised over £200 for the group.
We are very grateful for these organisations' contributions to our funds, and continue to seek funding from charitable and welfare-related bodies. However, reliance on one-off donations makes financial planning difficult, and therefore we are also trying to find ongoing sources of funds.
One project of this kind is the re-making, by group members, of greetings cards, from a combination of raw materials and used birthday and Christmas cards. We have found several outlets willing to sell cards for us for a commission, and are also planning to take stalls, eg at local fetes, and sell them ourselves.
We also now have access to a webshop, through which you can buy goods from a range of well-known companies, and each purchase made this way earns a commission for MK MEG.