Mendip Fibromyalgia Support Group spent 2013 working on a project to donate some books about Fibromyalgia to the local library service, with the aim of supporting a wider range of sufferers than come to our group meetings, particularly those who would like more information but are not comfortable in a group situation, and to generally raise awareness of Fibromyalgia.
With the help of a donation from a group member in memory of her mother, Ruth 'Sis' Cook, and a grant from the Swans of Wells project, on Monday 2nd December 2013 Mendip Fibromyalgia Support Group donated 31 specialised books to the Somerset Library Service. A grant from UK Fibromyalgia will enable the group to publicise the availability of the donated books to all the support groups, hospitals and doctors surgeries in the area as well as to services such as books on prescription.
The books about Fibromyalgia and related conditions, and to help family members of sufferers, will be housed initially in Wells Library, then in all the Libraries in the Mendip area and will be made available throughout the Libraries West area of Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset, Somerset, and South Gloucestershire via the inter-library loan service.
Group chair Tanya Climo said "Through a combination of the Swans money and the donation from Di Malcolm we have managed to do something that will hopefully help a much wider range of Fibromyalgia sufferers than our group meetings alone are able to"
Di Malcolm is a member of the Support Group and has Fibromyalgia. She wanted to do something in memory of her mum that would help to support fellow sufferers of the condition. She said "It is nice to be able to use the money from the donations at Mum's funeral to help other people. We need to support each other".
Mendip Fibromyalgia Support Group was founded by Sarah Jane Franklin in May 2011 and no one had any idea how fast it would grow in such a short time. The book project is one of the group's greatest achievements so far.
With the help of Nigel Humphrey and Cerian Amery of Somerset Library Service the collection has now been made available to a wide range of sufferers and their families, members of the medical profession, and anyone interested in learning more about Fibromyalgia
Mendip Fibromyalgia Support Group holds a monthly meeting on the first Wednesday of each month from 10am - 12noon at Hartleys Kitchen, Rookery Farm, Binegar BA3 4UL. They also hold a 'Fibrocraft' group on the third Saturday of each month, 10am-12noon at Heads Up, Upper Braech, South Horrington, BA5 3QG.
For more information about Mendip Fibromyalgia Support Group or about the books available in the Libraries West area email Tanya at mendipfmsg@yahoo.co.uk or phone Karen on 0844 887 2427
