Help ME sufferers during Silly Season

The time when Parliament is not sitting and the schools are out for summer is known as the Silly Season. But, now, as at any time of the year, you can use any time that you have on your hands to do something really sensible by volunteering to work with us at Mefreeforall.org.

We are a charitable organisation dedicated to supporting people who have the extremely disabling illness ME – myalgic encephalomyelitis –, their carers and families; raising awareness amongst the general public and the medical profession and promoting research towards a cure. We also have time to make new friends and have some fun while we do the more serious work.

We always need people with good administrative, secretarial and PA skills to do regular office tasks such as keeping records up-to-date and filing away papers; putting content on to our website (training given if you have not done it before), ranging from news and letters to jokes and quizzes and the opportunities to meet fellow ME sufferers.

It would be a bonus to find people with specialist skills in ME or research methods generally; with IT experience of websites or software such as typo3 or with the experience of running a forum but also with no qualifications or experience at all as all necessary training is given.

Since we are a charity, with no funding at all, there is no pay but volunteers who are looking for a permanent job can include us on their CV and earn a good reference, which may help towards finding paid employment.

It can get retired people out of the house, fill a few otherwise lonely hours, or be an opportunity to keep your hand in or lean new skills.

Students, home for a month or two, can give some of that time and we can offer placements and work experience that may count towards a degree or diploma, as we have done for undergraduates from the City of Bristol College and the University of the West of England.

Working hours are entirely flexible and the choice of every volunteer. For example, if you live in easy reach of Downend, you could work a couple of hours here, one or two mornings a week but volunteers can now work from their own computers, wherever in the world they live, using skype (another skill for you to learn and use) and work anytime, day or night to suit themselves, larks or owls.

Our pool of volunteers is constantly changing as some get jobs, go off to college, or have some other change in their lives. We need new ones to keep up the numbers and grow. It's an exciting time to join us, as we plan to launch two major projects soon and could use all the help we can get. We are even thinking ahead as far as Christmas and ME. Awareness Week in May 2010.

There is something for everyone here. No one is excluded. We have had volunteers from 16 to 77 and we'll stretch the range for you. We have people from all different backgrounds; every continent in the world (not an eskimo...yet), some with chronic physical disabilities and mental health issues and a few who have got into trouble, one way or another and are seeking a way back.

Have a look on our website, send an email to John at drjohngreensmith@mefreeforall.org with "volunteer" in the subject line, or phone him on 0117 956 0150.

You could seriously help us during the "Silly Season" and beyond – and you may find something in return for your generosity.

Dr John H Greensmith,

www.mefreeforall.org,

Downend.