The ME/CFS Society of NSW Inc.

Contact person is Bronwyn: ExCounts@bigpond.net.au (Please be advised that due to work commitments it may take a few days for emails to be replied.)

ESSG offers the following:

• Several cafe meetings per month - weekdays and weekends
• Regular e-newsletter

Support Group Meetings:

ALL MEETINGS START AT 2PM

Double Bay Cafe Meeting - Fri, 7th November (Dish)
Kings Cross Cafe Meeting - Mon, 17th November (Fountain Cafe)
Kings Cross Cafe Meeting - Sat, 29th November (Fountain Cafe)
Double Bay Cafe Meeting - Fri, 5th December (Dish)
Xmas Lunch - Mon, 15th December (Rushcutter's Bay Park see details below)

The Double Bay Cafe Meetings will be held at the Dish Cafe on the first Friday of every month. If the group is small we will have a table at the under cover front terrace of the Cafe (dogs welcome), if the weather is nasty we can move inside the Cafe. The Cafe is located at Shop 5a, 19-27 Cross Street (corner Transvaal Avenue), Double Bay (at the end of a shopping court between the Stamford Plaza Hotel and New South Head Road). You can contact them on 9328-9000 for more accurate directions. There is a covered Car Park up the New South Head Road end of Cross Street, or you can park in the open air behind the Sheaf Hotel/Woolworths in the Council Car Park. The menu is general cafe style, ranging in price from about $8.00 up to $25.00 in price. They serve meals up until 3pm (last order) but you can still order coffees, other drinks and home made gelato after that.

The Kings Cross Cafe Meetings are held at the Fountain Cafe, Darlinghurst Road, Kings Cross on the third Monday of every month and also on some Saturdays. The seating is all outdoor. There are pull down blinds to protect from the cold winds and ample heating in winter. However, in spring and autumn it doesn't get much sun, and the breezes can on occasion be chilly - so if you are sensitive to the cold at all, bring some additional clothing!

Xmas Lunch (Replacing December Cafe Meeting):

Monday 15th December

1pm, Rushcutter's Bay Park

There is a nice shaded section of lawn on the New South Head Road side of the kiosk in the park. It is within easy access to drop off / parking on New Beach Road, Darling Point, and to buses from New South Head Road. This is where we will station ourselves. It's not far from both toilet facilities and drinks & ice creams!!

Food & Drink:

As the "bring your own" Xmas lunch continues to be so successful we'll be repeating it this year. I will provide Xmas cups, plates, serviettes, cutlery and Xmas Crackers, and I'll also bring along Xmas cake, fruit mince pies, homemade shortbread and a couple of bottles of bubbly for the celebration. I'm afraid my recipes are not particularly user friendly for the gluten intolerant or those avoiding sugar, so if you have special needs in this department, do feel free to bring your own treats.

Attendance & Payment:
Intention to attend is required by 5pm Monday 8th December. Final confirmation of attendance is required by 5pm Friday 12th December so I can ensure I have enough treats and gifts for us all.

If you wish to partake of the sweet treats I will be bringing with me, all I ask is a donation of a gold coin on the day towards the cost of the goodies. The gifts will be my donation to the Society for 2008.

What To Bring!!

Remember to bring yourself!!! If you can't manage to sit on the ground, please arrange to bring your own chair, or get someone to bring one for you. I also have 4 fold up chairs that I can bring - 2 regular height, 2 lower to the ground. I have a couple of blankets but more will be handy. Also, I have Petanque (boules) balls so we can have a bit of a game after we've eaten. Anybody else who has games suitable for sedate movers such as us - bring them along!! I will also bring a small esky with some ice to keep drinks cool if you would like to bring your own cold drinks. My esky will only take about half a dozen bottles. Anybody else who can bring an esky and ice, it would be appreciated!

Xmas Gifts:

In previous years we have had a gift exchange, which has not been terribly successful, as not everyone has been able to bring a gift. So this year, I have decided that instead of making a donation to the Society, my donation will be a small gift for each attendee at the Xmas Lunch (following our previous rule of no more than $10 per gift). In order for this to work, I need you to ensure that you let me know no later than 5pm Friday 12th December that you would like to attend, so that it gives me a full weekend to obtain more gifts if I am short. It is far easier to give away spare gifts than to give a gift when there is none available!!

What If It Rains?

Hopefully it won't rain. But I'll check the long range forecasts and check it out, which should give us plenty of time to make alternate arrangements. If however long range forecasts are wrong, and on the morning of the lunch it unexpectedly looks like rain, I'll arrange an indoor venue for our little party. Call me before 11am on the morning of the lunch and I'll confirm the venue with each of you!!

Feedback from the Society Support Group Leaders Forum Sept 08:

I attended the ME/CFS Support Group Leaders Forum on behalf of Bronwyn on the weekend of 27/28 September, at the Mantra Hotel, Chatswood.
The support leaders represented their local groups from Sydney and NSW country areas. The aim of the forum was to provide the opportunity for a two way exchange between the society and support groups. For the society to acknowledge the work and value of the local groups,and to assist the groups and gain their input in expressing their needs as well as ideas for future promotional events, given limited resources.
There was obvious enthusiasm and friendship from the outset as common issues were shared and the differences between the city and increased isolation in country areas, where it seemed dogged determination was the main strategy to deal with limited medical services and lack of understanding.
The weekend was hectic with so many topics to cover, but very worthwhile with strong bonds and a common purpose developed for the future. To keep us going we were provided with reflexology and relaxation techniques from therapists Joanne and Lucinda, and on Saturday evening a mob of about twenty hit the local Thai restaurant, putting the talents of the cook and patience of the staff to the test with all the different dietary requests! From the level of noise and fun no one would have guessed that this was a CFS group!
There has been a steady level of interaction and feedback since the weekend and the society will provide a detailed report on content and outcomes All participants declared the forum worthwhile and a great success.

Cheers
Ann