I AM appealing for volunteers to become part of a local Community Help Group for the National Meningitis Trust.

We already have many active help groups throughout the UK, but many of them are looking for volunteers to support their work.

There are also areas in the UK where we would like to strengthen our Community Help Group network.

Community Help Groups work tirelessly to heighten awareness of meningitis and raise funds.

They also find great benefit through talking to each other about their individual experiences of the disease and they are also a way of enabling the group member to fight back against this disease.

Volunteers can give as little, or as much of their time as they wish.

Meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia are truly devastating diseases and the national Meningitis Trust leads the fight to diminish the impact of the disease through funding vital medical research, raising awareness of the disease and the work of the Trust and supporting patients and their families.

Anyone interested in joining or setting up a Community Help Group should contact either me or my colleague, Louise Thomas on 01453 768000.

CHRISTINE BURROWS, Community Help Group Manager, National Meningitis Trust, Bath Road, Stroud, Glos.

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