MECFS Canterbury

18/06/2026

Our volunteers are what keep us afloat. Without them, so much of what we offer the ME/CFS and Long Covid community in Canterbury and the West Coast simply would not exist.
We receive no government funding, and it is the people who quietly show up, give their time, and pour their energy into this mahi that make the difference.

To every volunteer who has been part of our journey, thank you.
We see you and we are so grateful.


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If you have some capacity to support people in Canterbury and the West Coast with ME/CFS and Long Covid check our current volunteer vacancies: https://volcan.org.nz/opportunities/?keyword=me%2Fcfs

Or complete our Volunteer Expression of Interest form on: https://www.mecfscanterbury.nz/volunteer

15/06/2026

Our "ME/CFS and its Management" presentation is now on YouTube.
It covers pacing, heart rate tools, and how to find a baseline that works for your body.

Because here is the thing. ME/CFS is a body running on an unreliable battery. One that charges slower, drains faster and gives you no warning before it cuts out. Some days you might wake up at 40%. For some it could less and often it’s hard to find an explanation why.

Post-exertional malaise does not always show up when you expect it. You feel okay on Tuesday. You crash on Thursday. And you spend the weekend trying to figure out what you did wrong. You didn't do anything wrong. This is how this illness works.

Pacing is not about doing less forever. It is about learning where your body actually is right now, so you can stop spending energy you do not have. Real rest counts. Every small saving counts. Asking for help counts.

You are managing something genuinely complex, with very little support from a system that is still catching up. That deserves acknowledgement.

The video is there when you are ready.
Watch time: 1hr 3mins https://youtu.be/orxAmVmt41I?si=PXnGrYFMQZR2N6Z0

14/06/2026

This National Volunteer Week we are thinking about all the people who show up for our ME/CFS and Long Covid community in Canterbury and the West Coast.

Volunteers keep us afloat. They help with outreach, administration, grant applications, advocacy, and everything in between. They support people who are very unwell, in a system that too often does not. That is not a small thing.

Thank you. We could not do this without you.

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If you have some capacity to support people in Canterbury and the West Coast with ME/CFS and Long Covid check our current volunteer vacancies: https://volcan.org.nz/opportunities/?keyword=me%2Fcfs

Or complete our Volunteer Expression of Interest form on:
https://www.mecfscanterbury.nz/volunteer

12/06/2026

We are excited to announce the three winners of our 2026 Crash Wear Merch Design Competition.

Each entry was unique and speaks to what ME/CFS Canterbury West Coast is all about: community, advocacy, and the lived experience of people with ME/CFS and Long Covid in Canterbury and the West Coast.

✦ Rachel Rockell - Our Mission and Vision
Rachel kept our signature colour and logo on the front. On the back, yellow daisies sit alongside our mission and vision, representing friendship, joy, cheerfulness and loyalty.
Purchase here: https://mecfscanterbury.digitees.co.nz/shop/product/27812871

✦ Karen Morton - Seven Spoons
A photograph from a photographic essay Karen is creating about Spoon Theory. Seven blue spoons, intentionally blurred to reflect the brain fog so many in our community live with. "I woke with only seven spoons today."
Purchase here: https://mecfscanterbury.digitees.co.nz/shop/product/27804711

✦ Tamara Barker, Forget M.E. Not
A digitally drawn forget-me-not arranged in a circle with the words Forget M.E. Not along the edge. A symbol for ME/CFS and the millions missing from their lives because of this illness.
Purchase here: https://mecfscanterbury.digitees.co.nz/shop/product/27805291

Please consider checking out the whole range of Crash Wear Merch...
A couple of dollars from every purchase goes directly toward supporting people with ME/CFS and Long Covid in Canterbury and the West Coast.

17/05/2026

Thanks for joining us for Blue Sunday!

If you’re able remind guests and absent whānau to donate the price they’d pay at a cafe to help ME/CFS Canterbury / West Coast continue to provide vital services to people with ME/CFS and Long Covid in our area:

We rely on grants and donations to fund our services because we do not currently receive any funding from the government's Health budget.