Wonderful Work By ME Sufferer With Her Charity Post Pals That Helps Others

Published on: 31 Jul, 2019
Updated on: 31 Jul, 2019

Vikki George, who runs a charity called Post Pals, is a longterm sufferer of severe ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome). Here she tells Effingham Eye reporter CHRIS DICK about her life and the charity

Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself?

A: Yes of course. I’m in my early thirties and have lived all my life in Effingham with my parents [Dawn and Steve] on whom as you can see I’m dependant.

Actually I’ve spent so much time in bed that most of our near neighbours don’t even know I’m here. I run the charity from my bedroom or from a hospital bed when my condition permits me.

The problem with ME is that I can only work in short bursts of five minutes here and five minutes there. But I think the charity is what keeps me so positive. And a saline drip every day can be a big help.

From left: Vikki George with her friends Princess Merida (readers may remember her from the Disney Pixar film Brave) and her other friends Tori Tremlette and Ally Hawthorne.

Q When did you get the first symptoms of ME?

A: I got ME at the age of 11 following a bout of glandular fever. Glandular fever is often the trigger for ME. I used to be very active and loved dancing and kayaking. But that all changed with the ME.

Actually even today not much is known about the condition. Many doctors think it is a mental problem and send sufferers to psychologists and psychiatrists, all to no avail. And that is despite all the current research showing it is a physical condition. I’ve even known cases where sufferers were sent to mental institutions or just left without support.

Q: You’ve previously told me that Post Pals has been running for 17 years. What inspired you in the first place.

A: When I first got ME I couldn’t talk and it was very lonely. I never saw people. Then friends and relations started sending me cards. It was the highlight of my day when the post arrived. But I hated Sundays! Soon all the walls in my room were covered in cards. I think that was what really helped me and gave me hope.

Q: How did the charity come into being?

A: When I reached 18 for short times each day I could work a keyboard laying down. I followed stories in the Press, and reached out to the parents offering support.

Then with help from people I knew through a charity I applied to the Prince’s Trust for a National Lottery grant.

I was lucky enough to receive a grant and Post Pals was born. The Prince’s Trust had faith in us even though most people didn’t. They were able to provide references to families to assure them we genuinely were setting up a project to help.

A few years later with help from the late Jan King we received charity status, combined with social media it’s grown. Not too big. Ally and I know every member and would not want it to become impersonal. But we do have some spare capacity at present for new members.

Q: Can you tell me a little about what you plan for next year?

A: I am hoping to hold an overnight glamping event at Chessington World of Adventure. This will be the first time the charity members and their families will have been under canvass.

We’ve taken other families to Chessington World of Adventure three times before but stayed in the hotel there. It’s really expensive as we provide every single thing families need from extra tents to all meals. It means we have to raise £30,000.

Q: Before we come onto how much you need you mentioned that there was a transport problem getting to Chessington to make the arrangements. Can you explain?

A: Trying to organise these events usually costs me personally around £130 per round trip to Chessington. The problem is that, living on the border with Mole Valley, Guildford Borough Council won’t permit me to use the Dial-a-ride taxi for the disabled to go into a different council area.

And Mole Valley District Council won’t collect me because I live in Guildford Borough Council’s area.

It would be so much cheaper to take Dial-a-ride but the councils are inflexible. Bizarrely it wouldn’t be a problem if I lived just one street to the east.

But then for every issue that sets me back there seems to be about five wonderful people who step in and make the problem go away. In this case a local Bookham taxi driver, who is equipped to transport disabled passengers, heard of my plight and took me to Chessington and back free of charge.

Q: Going back to how much this will cost, how do you plan to raise the money?

A: It works out at around £450 per tent. So I try and encourage people to sponsor a tent. It doesn’t seem so much when it gets broken down to the price of a tent.

Then we can put the donor’s name above the tent. We also ask for people to raise sponsorship funds by walking over the O2 in London.

We haven’t tried raising funds through businesses yet but that could be a really useful option this time. Actually, with around five people per member, we are planning for two dates next year as the numbers would be too great to cope with on a single overnight stay.

Q: Would you like to comment on the dad and his two children I saw at your recent Post Pals party when the butterflies were released in memory of those departed. It was clear at the time that their sister had died.

A: We create memories, precious family time and new friends. But when a member of our charity dies we stay in contact with the parents and siblings.

The death causes such a loss and massive changes to their lives so we keep supporting and encourage them to come to our party events and will be inviting them to have a weekend away at Chessington surrounded by others who understand.

Our first three tents have been sponsored in memory of Jack Edwards, a child we helped who passed away aged seven.

Q: What are your ambitions while you are on the path to your own recovery?

A: Because my time and energy are limited it would be a wonderful dream come true to be able to fund a salary. We could do so much more.

I would love to pay Ally or someone a full-time salary. I’m unpaid and unable to give the time/energy the project needs and don’t want to make the charity too big as both Ally – my right hand man – and I always want to be able to know every member by name.

But it would be wonderful to have someone to do the administration.

Q: Your family is clearly supportive. What you like to say about them?

A: My parents are incredibly supportive.But if you ask them they will say it is just every day stuff to them and, if you ask Mum, she will just clam up with embarrassment. But wow they are not always happy.

When two pallets of Lego arrived or hundreds of balloons that needed blowing up or when the driveway was blocked with boxes of cuddly toys… the air turned blue!

At this point Vikki’s mother Dawn, who had been sitting in on our interview, clearly overcame any shyness and said: “That’s all true but those balloons were defective and all deflated overnight. We had to go out and get more and then blow them up!”

The interview ended with much laughter. As Vikki put it: “You need a good sense of humour.”

Readers may donate via clicking on to this website:

Or via cheques made payable to Post Pals and sent to Post Pals, PO Box 278, Leatherhead, Surrey KT234WN.

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