Sheffield ME & Fibromyalgia Group

03/06/2026

Pride Month is here, and while we here at SMEFG love a celebration, it’s also a reminder that none of our rights appeared out of thin air. They were fought for by people who refused to be pushed aside and that fight isn’t over.
For those of us living at the intersection of LGBTQ+ identity and chronic illness, the world can feel like a maze of extra hurdles where there's healthcare that doesn’t listen, spaces that aren’t accessible, and conversations where disability gets left out entirely.

At Sheffield ME & Fibromyalgia Group, we’re proud to stand with everyone whose identities overlap, collide, and coexist in ways that make life both complicated and beautiful. Pride began as a protest, and it’s still a reminder to stay loud, stay visible, and stay protective of the rights we’ve fought so hard to win.
Because if we don’t keep pushing, those rights can slip away.
This Pride Month, we’re celebrating every part of who you are!
Q***r, disabled and chronically amazing.
We are committed to fighting for a world where no one has to choose between their identity, their health, or their dignity.

02/06/2026

Benefits online talk - Weds 8th July, 1pm-2.30pm
Are you sick/disabled and working, or considering a return to work? This session covers benefits that you may still be entitled to, and any help that you can claim to help you return or remain in employment - provided by SMEFG & coproduced with ASTRIID.
Sign up below:

https://bit.ly/BenefitsTalkJuly26

27/05/2026

As part of the National Association of Welfare Rights Advisors (NAWRA), we collaborated information shared by our members in order to shape a response to the Timms Report.

You can view NAWRA's response here:https://www.nawra.org.uk/wordpress/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/NAWRA-response-Timms-Review-May-2026.pdf

We believe that this reflects SMEFG and our members views, however we have also sent an individual response to this call for evidence. Overall, there was a recognition that PIP needs reforming to reflect the changing needs and demands of society.

However, this needs to be done as part of a larger, more holistic review of how to remove barriers for disabled people and enable them to lead a full and active life, including both financial and other forms of support.

26/05/2026

Here is our programme of wellbeing activities for this week.

Explore all our activities here 👉 www.sheffieldmegroup.co.uk/current-activities

Become a member here 👉 https://www.sheffieldmegroup.co.uk/become-a-member

19/05/2026

Our Annual General Meeting is taking place on Thursday the 21 May 2026, 12-2pm at The Circle, Sheffield and online.

Members will have the opportunity to ask questions to the Board of Trustees and hear about the charity’s progress over the past 12 months.

More details about our AGM, including safety and accessibility, can be found on our website: https://www.sheffieldmegroup.co.uk/post/annual-general-meeting-2026

If you are joining us in-person, please email our office to confirm attendance [email protected]

If you are joining us online, please register: https://bit.ly/SMEFG-AGM-2026

18/05/2026

ME Association are hosting a talk with David Walton the ME Association's Honorary Employment Advisor who has over 20 years of experience as a specialist employment law solicitor.

He will be giving a talk via their online Discord community, ME Connected, regarding the 2010 Equality Act and how it relates to ME/CFS.

More details including how to register are below👇

It's nearly time for our talk and Q&A with David Walton, remember to submit your questions by the end of the day!

David Walton is the ME Association's Honorary Employment Advisor and has over 20 years of experience as a specialist employment law solicitor. He will be giving a talk via our online Discord community, ME Connected, regarding the 2010 Equality Act and how it relates to ME/CFS.

We look forward to welcoming you to ME Connected and to hosting David Walton for this special event!

Date: May 21st, 12:30pm - 1:30pm
Where: Online via ME Connected Discord
Tickets: Free
Questions: Please try to submit your questions on our website (via link below) by the 17th May. If you miss the deadline, please don't worry, there will be opportunity to ask questions during the event as well.

Find out how to take part here: https://meassociation.org.uk/yvis

If you are new to ME Connected, please make sure you sign up well in advance of the event so you have time to get familiar with how to use the Discord app - thank you!

15/05/2026

“We wear it blue for ME to spread awareness of this debilitating condition and in the hope that we will be heard and took seriously one day soon 🙏”

For this year’s International ME Awareness week, we invited people with ME, carers, and allies to take part in our Wear it Blue for ME campaign by sharing a photo of themselves wearing blue alongside a short message.

Thank you to Anna and Yasmin for sharing their photo and message.

15/05/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our ME & Fibromyalgia Awareness Day picnic! We loved seeing you all, both online and in person.

We are very thankful to everyone involved in the planning and delivery of the event, including:

• Pippa Stacey - Life Of Pippa - for her fantastic talk.
•⁠ ⁠Breathe Easy Sheffield (https://sheffield.breathe-easy.uk) for lending us air purifiers and a CO2 monitor.
•⁠ ⁠The staff at The Circle/VAS for being so efficient and friendly with all our food and room booking requirements.

SMEFG Team

15/05/2026

“I’m wearing blue for ME to call for increased funding for research so we can find effective treatments”

For this year’s International ME Awareness Week Caroline, a Sheffield ME and Fibromyalgia Group trustee, wore blue and shared a short message.