Corby and District ME Self Help Support Group, to give it its full title, was formed in 1987. A group of like-minded people got together and decided that as there was nothing either in the town or anywhere close covering the ME/CFS subject they would do it themselves.
The group then, as now, covers the whole of North and East Northamptonshire.
This is a very large complicated area, with many rural, as well as town locations.
Within the group it was decided that no age group would be discriminated against, and that all would be made welcome. That is slightly different today as now we concentrate on adults only. Also not much emphasis was put on
carers, that has also changed as now we think the illness should encompass carers as much as people with the illness. They have to put up with the illness, and also know about the illness as much as the person with it does.
We have some members of our group who have never met each other. This is due to the illness making them either housebound and in some cases bed-bound. These people are no less excluded from our meetings in that they receive minutes and newsletters to keep them up to date. This service began in the early 90's when it was found it was needed. If they feel they would like to attend a meeting now and again that's ok also.
In the early days we were affiliated to The ME Association, but we are now affiliated to Action for ME. The support they can give is very helpful, and so is the information. As a self-help support group we don't always have the answers to questions so we need to ask an organisation with all of its resources for their support.
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