{"id":39728,"date":"2023-06-23T08:19:38","date_gmt":"2023-06-23T07:19:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wames.org.uk\/cms-english\/?p=39728"},"modified":"2023-06-23T08:24:04","modified_gmt":"2023-06-23T07:24:04","slug":"wames-agm-2023-signs-of-hope-for-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wames.org.uk\/cms-english\/wames-agm-2023-signs-of-hope-for-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"WAMES AGM 2023 – signs of hope for the future!"},"content":{"rendered":"

WAMES AGM 2023: hope for the future<\/strong><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

Our annual business meeting on 17th June 2023 celebrated the first signs of hope that services for people with ME\/CFS in Wales might be on the horizon. Many times over the years we have wondered if years of raising awareness about ME and calling for appropriate services might ever produce a positive result for our ignored community.<\/p>\n

\"\"Service development<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The unfortunate rise in the post viral illness of long COVID and the long awaited revised NICE guideline means that there is now a more receptive climate in the NHS and an authoritative roadmap for the future.<\/p>\n

WAMES has been busy sharing with Welsh Government and Health Boards the needs and experiences of people living with ME, as funding has been allocated and plans are being made to include ME\/CFS in health services.<\/p>\n

Information sharing<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Advocating for services is why WAMES was set up in 2001, but we quickly realised that families affected by ME in Wales also needed information, not just about our illness, but also about general services and ways to influence those services and our society, so we set up a website and newsletter. Our information sharing these days focuses on our news blog, helpline, twitter and Facebook, and we have recently added an e-newsletter and Instagram page.<\/p>\n

Our website has been looking increasingly tired and dated so we launched a fundraising campaign which has got off to a good start.<\/p>\n

The team<\/strong><\/h3>\n

All this has taken place with a dwindling volunteer team. Just imagine what we could do with more help!<\/p>\n