If paradise could be twice as nice, you’ll never find a better bunch than the Gloucestershire ME/CFS Friendship Group. They’ll be holding their annual ME Awareness Week bash on Saturday, 13th May and this year they’ve got a couple of surprises up their sleeves.
That afternoon, members will be out in force in Quedgeley Community Centre, near Gloucester, for a natter, a cuppa, a slice or two of some good home-bakes and a raffle stocked with over 20 prizes. The event will be held between 1.30 and 3.30pm.
And on the same day they’ll be going online to launch a raffle for that fabulous hair and beauty accessory – a brand-new Dyson ‘Corrale’ hair straightener valued at £400.
The stunning Dyson prize was secured by group member Kat Lamond and, as with all the proceeds from the Quedgeley cake sale, all the money made will be donated to The ME Association.
The Dyson will be raffled off online on the ME Association Facebook over both days that weekend – starting at 10am on 13th May and finishing at 9pm on the 14th. Tickets will cost £1 each, with details being announced nearer to the time.
Group leader Chantelle Parry answered the question: ‘This is great but why are you doing all this for The ME Association?’
Just before slipping out to pick up a raffle prize fom her local Asda, she answered: “We’ve got over 500 members in the group and, whenever we do a poll to ask them who they want to support, the MEA comes up top every time.”
“I’ve been appealing for prizes for our community centre raffle for months, and then Kat turned up with a really big one. This is our fifth annual event and they keep getting bigger and better every year.”
Chantelle, honoured by her members last year when they secretly nominated her to attend a Buckingham Palace Garden Party on their behalf, said she’d got “the best supporters in the world”. And last year’s attendance was “amazing”, with people packing into the village hall.
As you can guess from the above, a warm welcome awaits. Have a lovely afternoon, everyone – and thanks so much from everyone at The MEA for all your support.
Tony Britton
Senior Fundraising Consultant, The ME Association
tony.britton@meassociation.org.uk Mob: 07393 805566
