WAMES is growing to meet the challenges of 2021 – AGM News
Our AGM was held virtually on 27th March 2021. It was a time to take stock of the disruptions of 2020 and discuss how to tackle the challenges of the future for people with ME.
The big ongoing discussion is how we can continue to highlight the desperate need for services as we wait for the publication of the revised NICE guidelines in the midst of a growing group of patients with the overlapping symptoms of long COVID. We will be sharing those activities and requesting your help over the next few months.
Our Vision:
Our Vision is for a Wales where adults and children with ME, CFS and PVFS and their carers are taken seriously and treated with respect, where diagnosis, treatment and services are accessible without a battle.
Our Volunteers:
We are enjoying getting to know the growing number of volunteers who have been joining us over the last year. They will be critical in helping us to get ME taken more seriously in Wales. We need people with a wide range of skills and interests and are inviting more people to join us. We work in Teams so we can share tasks and responsibilities, and inspire and encourage each other.
Volunteers are the lifeblood of WAMES
Our Teams:
Trustees & Governance
we set the goals for WAMES and ensure we stay ‘on mission’ in line with charity law.
Administration
we work in the background and provide a framework for everything else to happen – maintaining records, memberships, mailing lists and general admin tasks.
Campaigns & Awareness
we find and respond to opportunities to improve services and spread the word about ME.
Support
we respond to queries and provide support to individuals and groups through the helpline, email, social media etc.
Communications
we look for ways to communicate bilingually about ME and WAMES throughout Wales using the website, social media and ‘pre-Covid’ paper formats.
Volunteering
we recruit, induct and support volunteers to ensure everyone has the best possible experience with WAMES.
Finances & fundraising
we find ways to raise enough money to fund our activities and ensure we plan ahead for the future.
Youth
this team has been less active for a few years but aims to pick up the pace and improve the support and information we give to children and young people.
Elected officers 2021:
- Chair: Jan Russell
- Acting secretary: Tony Thompson
- Treasurer: Simon Horsman
See future blogs to meet our volunteers!
Finances:
For the 2nd year running in 2020 we spent more than we received! We received £510 and spent £969. Online shopping fundraising and donations from individuals make up the bulk of our income as people shop more from home, but we also saw a big drop in donations – 53%! We are working to develop a more sustainable way to fund our work as everybody experiences economic challenges.
The bulk of our expenditure in the past has been on travel and accommodation costs to enable us to campaign and raise awareness. The pandemic has changed this. Instead, during 2021 we will need to invest in office hardware and software to ensure our growing team of volunteers can work effectively together virtually. We have enough money in the bank to make a start on this but will need to fundraise to complete the project.
Did you donate or fundraise by shopping online?
Thanks for the lifeline!
WAMES’ aim is to:
give a national voice to people with ME, CFS and PVFS in Wales, their carers and families, in order to improve services, access to services, awareness and support.
