Member Article

Midlands fatigue charity marks 10-year milestone with national roll out

A Birmingham-based charity which has been providing fatigue sufferers in the region with support and advice to help manage their conditions from the Midlands will now be accessible nationwide as it launches its Fatigue Wellbeing Hub.

Over the past 10 years, the charity has created a positive community for more than 15000 people affected by fatigue as a result of CFS/ME, Fibromyalgia, Cancer, Brain Injury, Post Traumatic Stress, Hormones, Anxiety and Depression helping to tackle the loneliness and isolation that often runs alongside the symptoms of fatigue.

Across the UK those in need of support can now become part of the Salus Fatigue Foundation community and access a new online fatigue support and education programme.

The Fatigue Wellbeing Hub will provide modules on immunity, movement, nutrition, pacing, pain, relaxation, sleep and stress. The hub’s content has been created as a result of supporting people affected by fatigue over the past 10 years in conjunction with qualified, registered health practitioners and the Salus team, with their own lived experiences. This is a self-management approach in order for people to improve their fatigue. From November people can join The Fatigue Wellbeing Hub.

Linda Jones, Founder and CEO of Salus Fatigue Foundation, said: “Since launching the Salus Fatigue Foundation in 2009, we have grown considerably and significantly strengthened and developed the expertise of our team. This has been the realisation of my dream to provide a specialist, unique lifeline for people who are affected by fatigue and for their families and friends.

“Our work so far has all been made possible by the hard work and determination of a committed passionate team, and the funding that the charity has been awarded from The National Lottery Community Fund and Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust.

“As we officially celebrate our 10-year anniversary this month, we are looking to the future to continue supporting people affected by Fatigue Related Conditions and to expand our service to people in their own homes.”

The charity’s work has received a huge amount of support and positive reviews from beneficiaries, families, GPs and healthcare professionals.

Cath, who started as a beneficiary and now works for Salus said: “I don’t think I’m being too dramatic when I say Salus, all that it is, has saved my life! Supportive, educational, INSPIRATIONAL. I am proud of my recovery and ever grateful.”

Jaswinder, a beneficiary explains: “I had been unable to find a clear way forward and by 2011 my condition had deteriorated to the point where I was unable to walk for more than a few hundred yards, was only up for four to five hours a day. I was so ill and had nowhere to turn I just wanted to end my life. Using the positivity, support, advice, friendship and education offered by Salus I saw an immediate and sustained improvement in my condition. Salus gave me my life back!”

Linda’s story

The charity started through Linda Jones’ own journey. As a successful company director and a mother of two, at the age of 34, Linda’s whole life changed. She had a multi-faceted, disabling condition called M.E / CFS (Myalgic Encephalopathy / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome).

After living a normal healthy life everything changed in her world and for her family to such an extent that she even considered ending her life. She became housebound, unable to walk or stand up on her worst days, and even found speaking too much effort and energy. Disbelief and lack of empathy by health care providers resulted in her finding her own recovery as she wasn’t going to let this illness beat her. She was extremely determined to find a way to get her life back. She accepted what was wrong and through research and understanding about the condition started her recovery programme.

In 2007 as part of her programme she felt she needed to find her meaning and purpose in life again. Along within rebuilding her life with her family and friends she decided to find something she enjoyed and that had helped her with her own recovery.

She started a small self-help group. In regaining her confidence and finding her passion again, she decided to put all her energy into supporting people affected by Chronic Fatigue/ME and did this on a voluntary basis for more than three years. From this work, Salus Fatigue Foundation was born.

What is fatigue?

Chronic Fatigue is a condition with more than 20 million sufferers worldwide , and minimal support, care and advice available.

It can affect anyone at any age and often changes lives forever. Jobs are lost, family relationships strained, and people become extremely isolated, depressed and anxious. Often the most active people are completely stopped in their tracks by it. Imagine living with permanent jet lag, combined with an extreme hangover or severe flu, that never leaves you. Diagnosis is difficult to get: the severity of symptoms varies from person to person but includes severe mental and physical fatigue, poor memory and concentration, un-refreshing sleep, severe joint and muscle pain, recurring infections and digestive problems.

The team at Salus has complete understanding of these life experiences.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Anna Thomas .