Acceptance, friendship and support from people who understand
Kirklees and Calderdale Independent ME Support Group (KCIMESG) is a local support group based in Kirklees and Calderdale for people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.), also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or ME/CFS, and their carers and loved ones.
Monthly meet-upsHuddersfield on the 1st Tuesday, Halifax on the 3rd Tuesday. Times and places
Telephone supportText Debbie on 0791 434 1279 and she will call you back.
Membership £5 a yearNewsletter, talks and discounts on activities. Become a member
Welcome to KCIMESG
KCIMESG is run by a small group of volunteers, most with ME/CFS, who are committed to helping and supporting others and have a wealth of experience of the illness.
If you have been diagnosed with or suspect you may have ME/CFS, Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome, or Long Covid we welcome you to join us and find acceptance, friendship, information and support from others who understand and have experienced your difficulties. We also invite family, friends, and carers to join us.
What is ME/CFS?
Symptoms and diagnosis, degrees of severity, post-exertional malaise, pacing, and Long Covid.
About KCIMESG
What we do
- Provide information about ME/CFS and related matters
- Host a friendly support network for people with ME/CFS and their families and carers
- Work to build awareness of ME/CFS amongst the public at large and local agencies and health professionals
- The encouragement and promotion of self-help activities to aid people with ME/CFS
How we do it
- Regular support meetings across the local area
- Social media group support
- Newsletters
- Telephone support service
- Provision of information about local treatment and support services
- Meet with local health professionals and organisations
Find out who helps to run KCIMESG, who our members are, and how you can become involved.
Meet-ups and events
We currently hold regular meet ups across our area which provide an opportunity to meet with a couple of representatives from our committee, learn more about the group, and meet other people with ME/CFS in the local area.
We have meet-ups in Huddersfield and Halifax monthly. We post dates of upcoming events on our Facebook page.
Huddersfield
When: 1st Tuesday of each month, 1:30–3:30pm
Where: Hive Cafe, 46 John William Street, Huddersfield HD1 1ER
Hive Cafe is a vegan cafe that has gluten-free options.
Halifax
When: 3rd Tuesday of each month, 11am–1pm
Where: Angels Rest Cafe and Bookshop, 15 Crossley Street, Halifax HX1 1UG
Angels Rest Cafe offers a selection of sandwiches, paninis, jacket potatoes, soup, as well as home baked goods and light snacks.
North Kirklees
On hold
Our social meet ups are currently on hold in North Kirklees, due to low demand. If people from North Kirklees contact us to say they would like regular meet-ups we will consider bringing them back.
If you would like to discuss alternatives then please contact us.
Online meet-ups
Occasionally, we hold online meet-ups for people who are unable to attend meetings in person. Our online meetings are held over Zoom. Details of these are emailed to members in advance.
Other events
In the past we have held and arranged numerous other events and activities such as Yoga courses, mindfulness sessions, ME Awareness Day stalls, and more.
We are exploring opportunities for these type of events in the future, if you have any suggestions or are able to help then please email us at kirklees.calderdale.imesg
Living with ME/CFS
Members of KCIMESG have created a video telling their stories of life with ME/CFS. We are deeply grateful to everyone who was able to contribute valuable energy to the production of this film.
Subtitles are on, and the sound only starts when you press play.
Living with ME/CFS
Personal stories from members of KCIMESG
I joined the group in 2009 and was immediately struck by how friendly and welcoming everyone was. It was great to be able to meet people who had the same condition as me, as before I didn’t know anyone and it was really beneficial to create for myself a new social support network that was local. I was able to increase my participation in the group as I wanted to give back my time and energy to a group that has helped me so much on a personal and social level.
Group member
Who we are
The management committee
KCIMESG is run by a management committee made up of volunteers. The majority of the management committee have ME/CFS themselves and therefore understand the effects that the illness has on those affected by it.
The management committee oversees the activities of the group and makes decisions on strategy, finances, and other aspects of governance. Full details can be found in our constitution which can be supplied upon request.
- Denise Howorth is our Chair.
- Hilary Bickerton is our Treasurer and Membership Secretary. She also hosts some coffee meetings.
- Wayne Senior is a Campaigns Officer, the Compliance Officer and a Communications Officer. He speaks on behalf of the group to decision makers in the local NHS.
- Fiona Livings is our Social Media Officer. She runs our Facebook groups and contributes to our other social media channels.
- Dylan Murphy is a Campaigns Officer. He has read and researched extensively on ME/CFS and ME/CFS policy.
- Steph Watson is a Communications Officer. She compiles the newsletter and runs the WhatsApp group.
- Debbie Sparks runs our telephone support line.
Our members
We have members from across the whole of Kirklees and Calderdale, as well as some of the surrounding areas such as Bradford, Wakefield, Shipley and more.
Our members have a diverse range of backgrounds. Some are still working, some have had to give up work or education due to their illness. We have men, women, young, old.
Some have had ME/CFS for decades, others are newly diagnosed or still waiting for a diagnosis. We also have partners, parents, and friends of those with the illness.
The thing that connects us all is that we have been affected by this illness and have found it helpful to become part of a community.
If you would like to join us at KCIMESG then head over to our membership page.
Volunteers and vacancies
KCIMESG is run entirely by volunteers who give up their time to operate the group. As the majority of us have ME/CFS then we need to spread our work load to keep it as light as possible and stay healthy and operational.
We are always open to new people joining us to help out and have various roles within the group. Some of our currently available roles are listed below. Workloads are small and flexible and you only need to contribute as much or as little as you feel you can at any given time.
To make enquiries about volunteering please contact us.
Activities and Events Team member
We require enthusiastic, friendly and sociable volunteers to join our Activities and Events Team. The main responsibility is hosting our coffee meetings. We aim to hold coffee meetings regularly across Kirklees and Calderdale.
Our coffee meetings provide a chance for people who have ME/CFS to meet others with the same condition. They are also a chance to connect with and find out more about KCIMESG. When you host a coffee meeting for KCIMESG, you are representing the group.
You may host coffee meetings in one or more locations. Coffee meetings take place during the day, at cafes or community venues. Time commitment would generally be between 2 to 6 hours per month dependent on how many meetings you attend.
The Activities and Events Officer may ask you for basic information about the coffee meetings you host, such as how many attended, who attended and what was discussed. You may also be asked to collect membership forms and fees.
If we provide additional activities and events, members of the Activities and Events Team may be expected to assist with organising, hosting and administration.
Publicity Team member
We require enthusiastic and friendly volunteers to join our Publicity Team.
We want to increase awareness of ME/CFS, and of our group.
The Publicity Team will help us to raise awareness of ME/CFS. This aspect of the role will involve talking to professionals and members of the public about ME/CFS, how the condition affects people, and how they can be better supported.
The Publicity Team will represent KCIMESG at events which provide opportunities to publicise the group. This aspect of the role could involve manning a stall to which people come to find out about ME/CFS and the group. It may also include networking with other attendees of the event.
You do not need personal experience of ME/CFS. You will be given training in order to carry out the role. This role is a flexible one dependent on events which may need to be attended.
The Publicity Officer may ask you for basic information about the events you attend, such as how many people you spoke to, and how people responded to the information you provided. You may also be asked to collect membership forms and fees.
Join us for £5 a year
Membership is open to anyone who has ME/CFS, PVFS, or Long Covid. You can also join us if you do not have a diagnosis but suspect that you might have one of these conditions. We also welcome all family, friends, loved ones, and carers.
As ME/CFS is an invisible illness, people often feel isolated from their former lives and can find it hard to re-connect when it seems as if society does not understand or see what they are going through.
Sharing your worries, concerns and finding common ground and understanding through meeting people whether virtually or in person or through receiving our quarterly newsletter can really help improve quality of life for people with ME/CFS.
Members receive discounts on activities we provide, our quarterly newsletter and invites to attend talks that are hosted by KCIMESG.
Contact and connect
As KCIMESG is run by volunteers who have ME/CFS, please allow us some time to respond to your message. Thank you.
Email us
You can email us at kirklees.calderdale.imesg
Telephone support
One of our members, Debbie Sparks, offers one-to-one telephone support to anyone with ME/CFS who wishes to discuss aspects of coping with life and the illness.
Like all our volunteers, Debbie has ME/CFS, so if you would like to talk to her please text her on 0791 434 1279. She will then phone you back when she is able to do so.
Social media
You can find the latest news, events, and activities from KCIMESG by following us on Facebook, Instagram and X (Twitter).
We also have 2 Facebook groups: a private peer support group for people with ME/CFS or Long Covid to chat, ask questions, and swap tips, ideas, and stories, and a public awareness group, Learn About ME, for anyone to see general news, research, and articles about ME/CFS and Long Covid.