Northern Ireland Millions Missing Visibility Campaign

Hope 4 ME & Fibro Northern Ireland has been proud to support the annual, global Millions Missing campaign, raising awareness of the scale, seriousness and invisibility of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) in Northern Ireland.

Since 2016 the charity has organised Millions Missing public visibility events, engaged with MLAs and pushed for specialist clinical services for those affected.

Watch NI Focal Point video coverage - Millions Missing 2016

What is Millions Missing?

Millions Missing is a global movement of people with ME (and their allies) who symbolise “missing” bodies from everyday life — through empty shoes, installations, demonstrations and public actions — to illustrate the high number of people disabled, house‐bound or bed‐bound by ME.

Our Northern Ireland key actions

September 2016: At the Stormont Estate in Belfast we joined an empty-shoes display bringing ME out of the shadows and into the political spotlight, calling upon the Stormont Executive and Health Minister to recognise and act.

October-November 2016: Local media reported on the campaign’s calls for proper services, noting that despite thousands of ME patients in Northern Ireland the health system was lacking specialist consultants, pathways and funding.

May 2017: 'Chasing Competent Care' annual conference, held in Stormont and incorporating Millions Missing display.

May 2018: In Newry at the Sean Hollywood Arts Centre we hosted a screening of the documentary UNREST along with a Millions Missing display to further raise awareness of what life with ME entails.

Robbie Butler MLA was our sponsor for the first Millions Missing demonstration at Stormont in 2016 and continues to support the charity in our campaign, said

"Hope 4 ME and Fibro NI must be praised for their sterling work ensuring that these conditions do not slip beneath the radar of society when it comes to the Stormont Executive providing the necessary funding and resources to assist sufferers and their carers."