At the AGM on 25 June WAMES looked back at what we have achieved over the last 15 years and asked where we should be going and what we should be doing in the future.

Many thanks to everyone who helped us by answering the Questionnaire and giving us your views.

Improving services

The majority agree that campaigning to improve services for people with ME should be the top priority for WAMES. It was heartening to be told that our efforts are appreciated. It was clear that a couple of people think we need to be more communicative and transparent about those activities and we shall be looking at ways to achieve that.

Communication

We were pleased that many people find our information activities very helpful. A few even thought that we should make our website, social media activities and information leaflets our no. 1 priority. The helpline was also considered to be high priority for a few people.

Awareness raising

Awareness raising also came in the top 4 activities for some people.

Volunteer recruitment & fundraising

Only a few people included these in their list of priorities and they thought that they should be low priority activities.

Our dilemma

We are pleased that our efforts to represent and support people in Wales are appreciated, but in order to maintain our current level of activities, we need people to join us and money to finance it. Volunteer recruitment and fundraising can no longer be a low priority for WAMES.

While all activities take time and effort, some require considerable amounts of money e.g. travelling around Wales to meetings as part of the campaigns. If we wish to take advantage of new campaigning and awareness raising opportunities we need many more people to join us in all our activities, and we need a lot more money.

We have therefore decided we need to take time over the summer months to rethink our fundraising and volunteer recruitment strategies. This may mean we won’t be as active in our information activities for a while. We’ll keep you posted!

If you think you can help WAMES improve services and support people in Wales with ME, in any way (large or small), contact any member of the committee:

Chair:         Jan Russell jan@wames.org.uk

Secretary: Kishli Laister-Scott secretary@wames.org.uk

Treasurer: Liz Chandler liz@wames.org.uk

Helpline:    Sylvia Penny helpline@wames.org.uk 029 2051 5061

Young people’s contact: Michelle Penny michelle@wames.org.uk

Publications officer:       Tony Thompson tony@wames.org.uk