With the support of the Association for Young People with ME (AYME) and Action for ME, I will be embarking on a 1200 mile route walk from Land's End to John O'Groats on the first day of the International ME Awareness Week - this being the 12th of May

Initially, I was undertaking the challenge with a gentleman called Baz whom like myself, is an ME sufferer.  Unfortunately he is quite unwell at the moment and cannot start the walk with me.  I hope that during the journey, if Baz is well enough, he will be able to join me.  It is a great shame, as he was very much looking forward to the task ahead of us and has been an inspiration to me, with his positive attitude to life.  However, this is unfortunately the nature of ME - it can be like living on a rollercoaster at times.

I've estimated that the journey will take me approximately five months to complete.  During this time, my intention is to stop and speak to raise awareness about ME and funds for the above charities (with the target of £4000.00 each) at as many national, county, city and town TV and radio stations and newspapers, as is possible, throughout the course of the walk.  These charities undertake great work in supporting research and informing and supporting sufferers, the wider public and Government about the illness - they deserve all the help and recognition possible.

Indeed, increasing awareness and understanding is absolutely crucial in support of ensuring adequate funding is made available at Government and local authority levels.  Within this context, I will also be talking about how the work of the Optimum Health Clinic (a private clinic treating ME sufferers) has made a huge difference to my mental and physical state in just a few months of starting their on-line computer course; and will be assisting them with their fundraising for a very significant undertaking that they are also launching in May.  (I should also like to say here a big thank you to Margaret Hurley (a 'Neuro-Linguistic Programming' Practitioner here in Jersey) and the CBT Therapist I saw recently; they too have helped me to get where I am today).

With an illness like ME being what my husband calls an 'invisible disability', the truth is that the lack of awareness amongst the public, medical profession and Government about the illness, leaves most sufferers and their families to 'deal with it' themselves as best they can in whatever way they can afford.  This can often be as stressful as the illness itself and can actually delay any recovery or even make the illness worse.

The irony is, however, if Governments accommodated for the need properly, it would actually save taxpayers money in the long-term because sufferers can fully recover or their health may improve sufficiently to a point where they can work and once again be able to contribute to the economy and thus the Treasury.  Health Services, Social Security, Housing and other Departments would then save money in the long-run.  This is undoubtedly a major issue that politicians are always apparently concerned about - making savings!

I am very passionate about pushing this subject in to the position of public and Government awareness it so deserves and to where sufferers have waited for, for far too long.  In essence - to achieve official recognition that ME is as serious as many far better understood debilitating illnesses which as a consequence, receive more appropriate levels of political backing for funding of public provision and research.  For this reason, I feel it necessary that it should be a person who has the illness to make this point - and do it in a big way.  This is what I wish to play my part in attempting to do.

'Just giving' - donating whatever you can to either or all of the ME organisations that I have mentioned above, no matter how small your contribution, can help make this happen!

Thank you.