crMEtea started in 2015. We have steadily grown in membership over the intervening time. In 2016 we added a Facebook group (for members only) which can be accessed via this website, and a new monthly email service for anyone with ME in our area who is house-bound or too ill to attend Meet-ups. In 2017 we assisted in starting up a new ME group for Cambridge to serve people with ME in that area. When the Covid virus started spreading, during the years 2020-22, we added in Zoom meetings and also began sending our newsletter to all members. The newsletter contains details of our various meetings and events as well as other content.
Why rural in our title? Our name reflects the fact that we meet in out-of-town locations, but you are just as welcome to come along if you live in a town or city, as you are if you live in a rural environment!
Sorry, but we are unable to offer additional support services (such as expert or medical advice). Our aim is to offer a relaxed environment each month in which to chat, make friends, and share our thoughts and experiences. We also have occasional special events.
This group is for adults only so we ask that you arrange child-care for any children where possible. If you have babies or young toddlers not happy to be left with others please feel free to bring them. However we have no child-oriented activities, so it may be an idea to bring toddlers something to do!
Please join by filling out the form on the Contact page of this website. We need your details to communicate with you, and so we have an idea of how many people to expect each month. Your information will also help us to plan the group.
We very much look forward to meeting you!
There are a number of very good ME charities and campaigning organisations with websites, offering lots of useful information about M.E. A quick website search should enable you to find them, but if you have trouble locating the information you need, please contact us and we will suggest links.
What if I have a child with ME?
We have received one or two contacts from parents who have children with ME. We would be delighted to try and help any parent/carer who wants to set up their own local M.E. group aimed at young people. Unfortunately we don’t have the resources to set up such a group ourselves, as our organisers have M.E.
How is crMEtea organised?
OUR ORGANISERS:
The Membership Secretary is your first point of contact when you join crMEtea via the website. You can ask her any general questions you may have about the group.
If you wish to make a suggestion or have more specific questions, the Membership Secretary will pass these directly to the Co-ordinator and Steering Committee for proper consideration and you can of course speak to the Co-ordinator directly during Meet-ups or events!
The Co-ordinator organises and chairs our Meet-ups, organises events and also sends out a regular newsletter containing details of the monthly meetings.
We have a few moderators on our Facebook group. In practice, all of our members take a share in making sure we have an inviting and friendly group to come to. We like to keep formality to a minimum.
We have a Steering Committee which meets to help guide crMEtea’s development. The Steering Committee are authorised to make decisions on behalf of the members, and assists the crMEtea Co-ordinator with planning and decision making.
OUR MEMBERS:
Members can (and do) contribute hugely to creating an enjoyable environment at Meet-ups by supporting new members smooth introduction into the group, suggesting themes for discussion and stepping in any time the Co-ordinator is feeling tired, to help keep things running!
Please feel free to suggest topics you wish to discuss at any time.
Members can suggest extra crMEtea events if they wish. Propose your idea: If it proves popular, is agreed by the organisers as suitable for our group and has sufficient people to organise it, the event can then be promoted through our usual routes.
If a suggested event falls outside of the remit of crMEtea (e.g: not considered suitable to be a mainstream crMEtea event) it must be considered purely private. Only events agreed to by the Co-ordinator or Steering Committee are recognised as crMEtea events. Any other events organised by members are private affairs as we are not in a position to assess or endorse them.
We offer frequent opportunities to Members to contribute suggestions or voice opinions about anything relating to the group. Please contact the Co-ordinator or Membership Secretary if you want to give us your ideas.
Anyone who wants to put themselves forward for the Steering Committee can notify the Member Secretary or Co-ordinator by email.
Small print and disclaimer.
We reserve the right to stop organising the group at any time, should circumstances make it necessary.
crMEtea events, and the travel involved: We are obviously not in a position to vouch for members of the group who come to Meet-ups. Please be aware that your attendance at crMEtea events is entirely at your own discretion and is your own responsibility. We simply facilitate the ability to meet, no more.
We will do our best to seek out safe-seeming publicly accessible venues in which to hold the Meet-ups. We will endeavour to put a website link for the venue we use on the Meetings page, alongside the Meet-up details.
Regarding travel to the venue – If you feel the weather is not suitable for travel on the day of an event, or you have any other concerns such as not feeling well, then don’t travel. Always put your safety first.
Members and prospective members occasionally offer or accept lifts to crMEtea events. Please be aware that such travel plans are entirely private arrangements between the parties involved and crMEtea is unable to endorce, recommend, or take responsibility for such private arrangements. Responsibility for all journey plans to and from crMEtea events lies solely with the parties making the journeys.
We do not offer medical advice of any kind: No member of crMEtea is a medical professional in the context of crMEtea (even if they are so in their private life). Never make any medical decisions based on amateur chat at crMEtea events or chat in the Facebook group or based on any information in crMEtea email exchanges. Our discussions are amateur in nature and personal opinion only. They are definitely not a substitute for professional medical advice.
Private events: crMEtea members occasionally hold additional smaller events of their own (outside of our main crMEtea events) such as additional meetings for special interests. Such events are deemed to be entirely private, so decisions to attend such events are an entirely private matter. This is true even when such an event may have been advertised or mentioned to the membership during a mainstream crMEtea event, or via crMEtea informational emails, through the Facebook group or in any other form.