Our Story

Healthcare providers can also explore best-practice, professional development resources by clicking on carousel images above

Hope 4 ME & Fibromyalgia NI was founded by Joan McParland MBE in 2011 and was originally named Newry & Mourne M.E. & Fibromyalgia Support Group.

As support quickly grew with patients and families from all across the region, the support group name was changed and officially established as a charity in 2014.

We are an all-volunteer led charity run by patients, family members, supported by medical and scientific experts: for people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.), Fibromyalgia, and Covid-induced M.E..

We are reliant solely on donations and small grants when available.

Our monthly Zoom peer-support group meetings with specialist speakers, alongside annual conferences featuring leading experts, educational events and resources for healthcare providers and students, offer crucial lifelines and hope to our community.

Our Impact

From humble beginnings, Joan’s vision has blossomed into a vibrant online community of 1000s of members and a team of dedicated volunteers. Supported by local councils and politicians, our charity spearheads efforts for specialist biomedical care in NI.

With prestigious awards and global recognition for our awareness initiatives, we’re committed to empowering patients, driving research, and campaigning for high-quality services and care.

In May 2024, Northern Ireland Health Minister Robin Swann in response to a request from the charity, pledged to be “a voice for M.E.” in support of Hope 4 ME & Fibro NI — recognising the urgent need for better care and awareness.
Find out more and watch N.I. Department of Health official video here

Our Commitment To M.E. Education

We provide free, CPD-certified information packs for healthcare professionals, students, and academics. These resources include:

A summary of the NICE Guideline for ME/CFS (NG206)
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis - Adult & Paediatric International Consensus Criteria Primer (ICP)
Additional science-based literature on best-practice management.

The packs are designed to support early and accurate diagnosis and promote safe and effective care.

We offer M.E. and Fibromyalgia information sessions for GP surgeries and community groups, and the Discover M.E. Experience
Sessions delivered in-person or online depending on location.

Our work has produced a 1-hour M.E. Clinical Update now freely available to all GP surgeries in Northern Ireland via the HSC GPNI website.

Collaboration with the HSC Clinical Education Centre in 2021, resulted in the production of 5 M.E. Webinars Series now available on our YouTube channel.
Read full details on content and expert speakers Here

As the sole authorised distributor in Northern Ireland, our charity provides free copies of the ME International Consensus Primer booklet (Carruthers BM et al., Journal for Internal Medicine) to healthcare providers, students and academics on request or can be downloaded from our Knowledge Bank

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Fundraising, Promoting Research and Care

Our fundraising supports vital biomedical research and all charity operations. Our community's generosity fuels our mission to improve patient care and advance medical understanding.

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Future Goals & Vision

Read our 3-year Strategy (2025-28)

Join Us - Our journey has faced many challenges, but has been so deeply worthwhile and rewarding to see the hope, strength, and community that’s grown along the way.