As a volunteer and paid employee at ME North East we asked Joanna a member of the young peoples group to write an article of her experiences of ME Awareness Week 2006.

'Over the last few months i have been busy helping Sheila to organise activities during ME Awareness Week. Our biggest event of the week being our charity Tyne Bridge Abseil. Managing to persuade 70 volunteers was fantastic and they all were amazing on the day. Many families and friends coming down to support. In total we raised £8,500, a fantastic amount that will make such a difference.

During the week I was also asked to take part in a number of media activities generating awareness of the condition within the region. Using the Tyne Bridge Abseil and the charity barrow as initial publicity we were then able to educate individuals about living with ME. On the Monday morning I was interviewed by BBC Radio Newcastle at my home in Gateshead. Pretty scary as it was a live interview at 7.50 in the morning! All over by 8.00am and I was back in bed with my bowl of porridge! Later that day myself and a number of Tyne Bridge applicants were photographed and interviewed by the Northern Echo. During the week we also had press coverage in the Hexham Courant, the Newcastle Journal, the Cleveland Evening Gazette and the North Cumbria News and Star.

On the day of the abseil Sunday 14th May we were featured on the evening Look North programme with pictures of one of our young people Adam Hedley abseiling down the bridge. Great coverage as people were able to recognise that the condition not only affects young people but young people of a very early age. The following Tuesday I was interviewed by Look North for their evening programme. Again it was an opportunity for me to get across the message that the illness is not just about ‘feeling tired’ and that the vast range of symptoms are varied with each young person. Explaining the frustrations we all have as lives are on hold and people still not recognising and understanding the illness.

It definitely was a very successful ME Awareness Week, lots of press coverage, a great fundraising event and a great opportunity to generate awareness at the Metro Centre charity barrow. I know so many of you have helped support in anyway you could so thank you again'.