Students of the Rushmoor School in Bedford raised £577 for FMA UK through a Sport-a-thon
We read in the Principal’s blog: ‘’Pam Cantrell, FMA UK volunteer was presented with a cheque for £577.50 following a 24 hour Sport-A-Thon held at Rushmoor School. The event was organised by members of the school council and pupils took part in many activities throughout the night and day to complete the challenge and raise some much needed funds for the organisation. Pam came to the school to speak to the boys and highlight how important the funds were in supporting people with the condition which is still very hard to diagnose, let alone live with as she does. Members of the group who raised the money were on hand to present Pam with the money which she gratefully received’’.
FMAUK would like to thank all those who participated in making the Sport-a-thon a success and in raising funds.
FMA UK reports on Health & Safety event for North West Highways, held on 17 October in Manchester
Our volunteer, Linda Horncastle, attended the event on FMA UK behalf and raised awareness about fibromyalgia. Here Linda tells us about the event: ‘’I really appreciated the help from Val Derbyshire and her team from the Salford FM Support Group.
We had a productive day talking to about 50 people who came to our table and 15 who attended the workshop of ‘FM and employment’. We set up our table in a large room with 14 other organisations. Highways UK loaned us 2 flip charts that I displayed FM work related posters, I had also prepared an A4 book of my PowerPoint slides which helped with conversations. We gave out a lot of FMA UK leaflets. Val also bought along her group’s fabric banner that helped our table be more visible. A number of contacts expressed keenness to attend the Salford FM Support group.
I presented a PowerPoint display on ‘FM and employment’ in a separate room. There was a lively discussion after my 30 minute presentation as 2 employees had FM and another employee had a friend with FM. It made an interesting point that I got more sympathy that my arm was in a sling on the day, because of tendinitis, than I’ve had with coping with 27 years of ‘invisible’ fibromyalgia’’.
The success of Jill Liman head shave
We have written recently about Jill planning to shave her head to raise awareness about fibromyalgia and funds for FMA UK. We are pleased to say that Jill’s head shave went very well and she looks fabulous now! Jill has raised £500 so far to support our work and she has raised a great level of awareness locally via social media and media articles. We would like to say thank you and congratulate to Jill.
To read the story in the Halsted Gazette, where Jill shares the impact her awareness campaign had, go to http://www.halsteadgazette.co.uk/news/14923365.Fibromyalgia_patient_shaves_head_for_charity_which_supported_her/
To donate visit Jill’s JustGiving page:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Jill-Limanhavingherhairshavedoff
Online webinar on the 'Work, health and disability' Green Paper organised by the Department of Health
Webinar for patients organised by the Department of Health England - Work Health Unit Green Paper Engagement
To be held Tuesday, 22nd November, 2016, From 12:00-13:00
‘’Building on the current service provisions for people with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions’’.
The Green Paper - Your chance to help shape the future… Public Consultation Announced
‘Improving Lives – the Work, Health and Disability Green Paper’ was published on the 31 October 2016 by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department of Health and reflects the Government’s new and ambitious approach to work, health and disability.
Clinical Trial on Back Pain - Actipatch
THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD is recruiting for clinical trials for lower chronic back pain. The study could benefit so many and if you think you might meet the requirements, please contact them directly using the details below.
The purpose of the trials is to determine the effectiveness of Actipatch.
The ActiPatch is a cutaneous device which is CE marked approved for relief of pain. It is taped over the affected area and stimulation at a high frequency is reported to alleviate pain with no sensation. However there is no class 1 evidence for this on back pain. By randomising patients between application of an active device or a dummy device and assessment of disability and pain scores at two weeks, the efficacy or otherwise can be established. Low back pain is a major health problem and if effective this has major economic implications as the device is cheap and safe.
Programme on fibromyalgia in TV, Monday 14th November, 10 am, BEN TV (channel 182)
On Monday the 14th November at 10 am on BEN TV ( channel 182) there will be a 30 minute programme about fibromyalgia. The guest speaker will be Ella Vine, Executive Officer at FMA UK. She will be asked about various things, from what is fibromyalgia, the treatment options currently available, what FMA UK does to help patients, what the government is doing and what else needs to be done. We hope it will be an interesting conversation!
Edited: Watch Ella's interview here
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- National Helpline 0300 999 3333 (10am - 4pm Mon - Fri)
- Benefits Helpline 0300 999 0055 (10am - 12pm Mon, Wed, and Fri)
- Complimentary information booklets for doctors and other professionals (fully referenced)
- Books and videos
- Website Contacts with legal specialists
- Conferences
- Local support group and helpline contacts
Trustee meetings are held monthly via Skype and last about 2 hours. There is an annual meeting that coincides with our group leaders’ meeting over a weekend.
If your Medical Professional needs some education in fibromyalgia you can request that an FMA UK Medical Professionals Pack is sent out to them. All we need is the name of the Medical Professional and the address of their practice. We will then send a pack to their surgery addressed from us to them.
You can request a medical pack using this form.
We are delighted to announce that our recent assessment for The Information Standard has been successful and we continue to fulfil the criteria for using the TIS logo on our publications.
The rigorous process that has to be in place ensures that up to date evidence is used and presented to people in an appropriate way. The process is ongoing and requires much diligence by everyone involved.
We would like to thank everyone who has worked on our publications or sent in their comments and suggestions for improvement
FMA UK is now able to receive text donations from your mobile. With our partners you are now able to send a text from your mobile to 70070 with the code of FMUK01 and your amount that you would like to donate to us. For example if you would like to donate £5 to FMA UK* you would text FMUK01 £5 to 70070. You would then be given the opportunity to add Gift Aid - meaning FMA UK benefits from an extra 25% on top of your original donation.
You can find a Support Group near you by contacting the Regional Coordinator for your area. If there does not happen to be a support group near you then maybe you can join with some other members and set one up. Support groups provide a social benefit as well as the opportunity to share tips on coping with fibro. They come in all shapes and sizes and we are often told how they have helped people.
