Waikato
Saya
Starting February 2025, until then, all contact details remain active and all members will be looked after by other Facilitators
Health and Wellness Facilitator
Tuesday to Friday 9am till 4.30pm
Phone or Txt: 022 154 7076
[email protected]
Support services for people in the Waikato affected by ME/CFS, were established by Frankie Letford in 1999. Frankie, who saw the need for this provided phone support, newsletters and organised support groups. For 10 years, Frankie coordinated this, as she was able to in a voluntary capacity with support from MS Waikato. With growth came the need to employ a support worker. For a further 12 years, ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia clients were then supported under the umbrella of MS Waikato.
During this time, the group continued to grow considerably, and recently sought to separate itself from MS Waikato to create their own identity. Following discussions with the Bay of Plenty organisation Complex Chronic illness Support Inc. (CCIS) an agreement was made and CCIS has welcomed the ME/CFS group into their midst. The CCIS model for service, is a better fit for supporting those affected by ME/CFS and allied conditions than under the MS umbrella.
“I have been attending the monthly Complex Chronic Illness Support group since March 2021 and I find very helpful not only finding out more about my illness but also talking to others with the same illness.
The facilitator, Tracey Larsen, is a wonderful and incredibly helpful person who has helped me enormously in the short time since my diagnosis.”
From MC.
August 2023
Kia Ora and welcome from the mighty Waikato!
We are a month past the shortest day of the year. Have you noticed yet that the days are getting just that little bit longer? A little bit more of winter to endure yet, but there is hope… We are on our way towards warmer sunnier weather!!
Who loves winter? Some of you do, but many of you do not. SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is common in our community at this time of year, which can cause extra fatigue, pain and low mood / depression. So do try to get out into the sun (When it is out) for 10 – 15 minutes each day. Taking a Vitamin D supplement can also be helpful.
Social withdrawal and isolation can be difficult at the best of times when living with debilitating energy deficits and fatigue, let alone during the winter when experiencing SAD. Our online social group meetings are one way to help reduce that sense of isolation and create connection and community with others paddling the same waka, so to speak.
I do apologise for any confusion around all the online group meetings that have been added recently. We do try hard to cater for all of our community. We have added a new online social group to our schedule – “After Work”. This is to cater for those who work and miss out on being able to attend any of our other online meetings. Please see the schedule below and let me know if you would like your name added to the email list of any of these groups so you receive the links to join each month.
Please be in touch if you have any questions.
Stay warm!
Tracey
Monthly Members Meetings
Is for all our members who want to attend a monthly meeting but do not have the extra energy to leave their homes
Currently, all Monthly Member Meetings are held online. We welcome you to join us - if you need support getting online, please contact your facilitator and we can have a practice prior to meeting time so that you feel more comfortable on the day.
Social Groups
Hamilton
Young Ladies Hamilton Group
1st Thursday of the month – 1pm
Venue changes so keep an eye on emails and face book.
Te Awamutu
Te Awamutu group meet on the third Thursday of the month. We meet in the afternoons in colder weather and at 10.30am during warmer months.
The venue changes each month, so watch for emails and check the facebook group for updates
Want to Speak to your Health and Wellness Facilitator?
