What does FMA UK do

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Category: FMA UK

Published on Friday, 28 March 2014 21:42

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Short answer is not as much as it would like to. FMA UK has 3 employees in our office but all other activities are conducted by volunteers. Volunteer time and funds are limiting factors on what we can achieve.

However below are some quick points and some weblinks as well for more info on what we try and manage to do. 

• Well first of all its a focal point for support and awareness. It helps support support groups all over the UK and provides information, posters and literature to sufferers and medical professionals.
• About FMA UK
• Provides medical information for sufferers and medical professionals through its Medical Advisory Board of experts. Our latest booklet that has just come from the printers is “Young People with Fibromyalgia”  and this took quite a bit of time and effort to produce. Resource form can be found here.
• We represent fibromyalgia sufferers at various levels and to various organisations. An example of this was our response to the Panorama programme. 
• We fundraise in order to finance these activities.
• Fundraising support for local support groups or people wanting to raise awareness and funds for FMA UK. 
• We attend medical and other conferences to raise awareness among the medical professionals.
• Awareness event support, including awareness items, e.g. posters, leaflets, t-shirts and many more items with many being offered free.
• Organise and take part in European Activities through ENFA.
• Provide Benefits support and and a general helpline.
• Provide a national helpline and offer training to helpline volunteers.
• Provide this website for information and support through the forum as well as a Healthunlocked forum.
• Support groups acrosss the country that are supported by FMA UK. Find one here.
• Providing the insurance cover required for registered fibromyalgia support groups to operate
• An organisational chart can be found here as well but it needs updating.

Additional items:

• Update information in other organisation's publications e.g. ARC and BUPA
• Provide information and interviewees to media
• Provide participants for surveys and research projects
• Hold annual meetings for support group leaders.

Examples of what donations can do:

Single Donations

• £2 would send a single first enquiry pack to a newly diagnosed person
• £20 Could send fibro info to 10 Medical Professionals
• £99 Could fund training for a helpline volunteer

Monthly Donations

• £15 Would contribute to our National helpline
• £18 Could pay for our Justgiving membership for a month