AN ESSENTIAL service which supports people in Malvern and across the county suffering from a life-changing condition is set to close for good next month.
A last-ditch attempt to secure new volunteers to help stop the closure of the Worcestershire ME Support Group has failed and an Extraordinary General Meeting has been called for Monday, December 5, with a view to closing the group “in its present form”.
This means current sufferers will no longer able to receive support at the group’s monthly sessions at Malvern Cube and other venues across the county – as has been the case for the past 25 years.
The service helps raise greater public awareness of the condition which is estimated to affect about 250,000 people in the UK as well as support sufferers, their carers, friends and family.
The condition can cause sufferers to have persistant exhaustion which can have a major effect on their mobility.
But a lack of volunteers taking on responsible roles and declining members have made times very difficult for the group.
In an open letter group chairman Ian Logan said things had started to look up when three new volunteers had joined the committee at its Annual General Meeting in September.
But, since then, the newcomers themselves have had to step down due to health and energy issues and unforeseen family commitments.
Mr Logan said: “We can no longer continue under our present constitution and group’s aims.
“This is because we do not have enough people able to run the group and fill the official posts required by our constitution. We also do not have enough people to run meetings, produce a newsletter, answer emails, etc, or act as a back-up support when others are away or unwell.
“For the last few years, we have managed with diminishing numbers of both helpers and officials. Also the number of members and contacts has reduced. I think that this has been declining as other forms of support / information have become available via the web, emails, etc.”
It is hoped the formal closure of the group could pave the way for a new one to be created without ‘old constraints’ but this would rely on volunteers wanting it to put together.
Group members are invited to the EGM which will be held in the Community Room at Waitrose, 233 London Road, Worcester between 2 and 4pm. People are asked to sign in at the welcome desk so their car parking does not go over the two-hour limit.
