Garden office opening 2016

Our Garden Office – A Milestone for the Charity

Since 2011, our volunteers have, and continue to work from home, contributing their time and limited energy to helping others. As the charity grew, so too did the need for a dedicated space to store information packs, awareness materials, conference regalia, and other resources.

When Joan’s home could no longer accommodate the ever-growing supplies needed for events, our members came together to make something special happen. Thanks to their generosity, our Charity Garden Office was built and officially opened on 31st August 2016.

The office is uniquely special – it is situated between Joan’s house and on her mum, May's land. This thoughtful arrangement means the charity has a permanent base without any rent or rates, allowing every penny to go directly into our awareness, support, and advocacy work. The office is small but completely accommodating to the charity's needs.

The garden office was made possible entirely through the donations and support of our patient members and supporters. Donations included:

The full cost of building the office.
Carpet, swivel chairs, office desks, coffee machine, kettle and much more, all kindly donated.
Filing cabinets and cupboards were generously donated by the Confederation of Community Groups in Newry

To mark the occasion, we hosted a celebration for members, also attended by the Lord Mayor of Newry Council (who carried out the official opening), local councillors, and board members from the Patient Client Council.

Dozens of our members from all across N.I. made a huge effort to attend the event, which was filled with warmth and community spirit. A harpist provided light entertainment, and with the help of a rented marquee, everyone was able to gather comfortably to enjoy a hot buffet supplied by outside caterers, followed by tea and a special treat – the traditional “Hope” cake.

Our humble office symbolised the strength, unity, and optimism at the heart of our charity, as we continue building bridges to a better future for all of our M.E., Fibromyalgia and Post-Covid M.E. patient community.