About Us
Meet The Team
Trustees & Committee Members
Joan McParland MBE
Founder and Events Coordinator
Joan worked as a School Meals Organiser for the Southern Education and Library Board since leaving college. She became suddenly, completely bed/house bound for almost a decade, as a result of an acute viral infection in October 1999.
A degree of improvement allows her to organise and coordinate the charity events on an iPad, from her sickbed (when able) as the debilitating symptoms of M.E. continue to severely limit all her physical and cognitive abilities. Joan’s passion and vision, is driven by her own lived experience of the stigmatisation, misrepresentation and lack of education within many areas of the medical profession, whilst coping with the life altering symptoms of M.E. Joan gives credit to the enormous support from her family, who were instrumental in establishing and maintaining the support group in 2011, and the practical help they continue to provide towards the day to day running of the charity.
She was awarded an MBE in 2023 “for services to people in Northern Ireland with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, their carers and family members”.
Linda Campbell
Chair and Healthcare Professional Educational Advisor
Linda Campbell is mother to a son with M.E. She is also an Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Primary Care. She joined the Committee in 2021, initially in the role of Healthcare Professional Educational Advisor, with a background in Health Education and Practice. At the beginning of 2022, this role changed to include the role of Committee Chair.
She is keen to use her role to advance M.E. awareness and education of healthcare professional students and staff, both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and in Practice – working in partnership with NI Universities and healthcare organisations responsible for education.
Hugh Boyle
Vice Treasurer
Hugh Boyle is Vice Treasurer of the group and co-founded the group with Joan in 2011.
Hugh shares the committee’s passion for the current campaign to implement adequate NHS services for all ME and Fibromyalgia patients in Northern Ireland.
Eilidh Gilmour
Parent Representative
Eilidh is mother to a young person with ME. She joined the committee in early 2017, and quickly took on the role of parent representative.
She is keen to use her new role to stand up for the rights of young people with ME & fibromyalgia.
Catherine Lynch
Membership Secretary
Catherine is the mother of a young adult with M.E., diagnosed 8 years ago. She works full-time in a Health and Wellbeing Department within a local Council.
Cartherine joined the Committee in 2018, and currently holds the position of Membership Secretary. She is passionate about raising M.E. awareness for all age groups, and helping out behind the scenes as well.
Rachel Carlisle
Administrative Assistant
Rachel has numerous chronic health conditions including chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (PoTS), hypermobile ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS).
She joined the committee in early 2022 in the role of admin support and zoom meeting coordinator. She is keen to use her own lived experience to help patients with ME & Fibromyalgia.
Kathryn McGowan
Secretary/Admin Support, Hope Crafts Helper, Fundraiser
Kathryn has suffered from Fibromyalgia for 15 years. After nearly dying from Covid 3 years ago she was diagnosed with Long Covid 2 1/2 years ago.
She is also a mum to a daughter who has had M.E for 4 years. After getting little help medically with my Long Covid she decided she wanted to help others and also raise awareness of M.E, Fibromyalgia and Long Covid in the hope that the healthcare and knowledge will improve. In the meantime, Kathryn wants to help with supporting others through her roles in the charity.
Volunteers
May Patton
Catering Manager
May Patton is our Catering Manager and has been an active volunteer from 2011.
Although she is not on the board of trustees, her role in supporting her daughter Joan with all group activities is a significant one.
Medical Advisors
Dr. William Weir
Medical Advisor
NHS Infectious Diseases Consultant, London. Private Infectious Diseases & M.E. Consultant, Harley Street, London.
Runs occasional Private M.E. Clinics in NI and sees housebound patients.
Dr. Nigel Speight
Paediatric Advisor and Patron of Hope 4 ME & Fibro NI
Dr Nigel Speight – formally Consultant Paediatrician, University Hospital, North Durham, with a special interest in M.E. Served on the CMO’s working party and on the RCPCH Guidelines working party (2002). One of the authors of the 2011 case definition, International Consensus Criteria, and also was one of the authors of the 2017 Paediatric Primer published in Frontiers in Paediatrics. Patron of Hope 4 ME & Fibro NI.
Professor Tom Trinick
Medical Advisor
Currently working as Consultant Chemical Pathologist and General Physician at the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, Belfast, Northern Ireland for over 32 years.
Has a ‘Special Interest’ in patients with M.E., Long Covid and other post-viral conditions – seeing these patients in an NHS or Private capacity.
Scientific Advisors
Prof. Brian Hughes
Scientific Advisor
Professor Brian Hughes – Professor in Psychology, and a specialist in stress psychophysiology, health psychology, the public understanding of psychology and science, and the application of psychology to social issues.
A prominent advocate for scientific psychology, evidence-based policy, and the role of psychology in society, he writes widely on the psychology of empiricism and of empirically disputable claims, especially as they pertain to science, health, medicine, and politics. He is a member of the HSE (Ireland) National Working Group on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and serves as a Scientific Advisor to the charity Hope 4 ME & Fibro NI.
Dr. Vance Spence
Scientific Advisor
Founder and Director of ME Research UK.
Worked within the Medical School at the Cardiovascular Unit, Dundee University, Scotland.
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