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Books, Training and Lectures on CFS/ME and setting up charity organisations.
Run by Dr. Jill Moss M.Ed (SEN) DUniv

About Dr. Jill Moss

Jill Moss, is an inspirational speaker and no nonsense author. She founded the unique voluntary organisation AYME (Association of Young People with ME) setting up volunteer opportunities for its 3,000 members who are involved in the day-to-day running of the charity's services to its members.

Jill's empathy with young people and ability to hold and excite the interest of an audience shines through in both her writing and her lectures. She has been conferred with several awards for her work, amongst them:

• BT/ChildLine award for services to children
• Whitbread Volunteer Action Award for services to charity
• Honorary Doctorate from the Open University

Background

For 20 years, Jill was a teacher - 10 years teaching deaf children, and 10 years in Senior Schools, with responsibility for Special Educational Needs and whole year groups. In 1993, she was forced into early retirement by the chronic illness M.E. (also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome CFS).

Noting a severe lack of services for children and young people with ME, Jill used her skills and enthusiasm to begin a small, local self-help group for them. From the start it was their organisation and the philosophy remains to this date, even with a massive membership increase from 5 local young people to 3,000 members across the UK, an office staff of 6 and an ever increasing professional membership of medical professionals and educationalists. Today, the Association of Young People with ME is a national, highly respected and award-winning charity.

Expertise called upon

Dr. Moss has been invited to sit on many working groups for the Government and Royal Medical colleges, working with professionals and steering through groundbreaking documents:

Department of Health:	Board member of the National Collaborating Centres at NICE National Service Framework for Children Report to the Chief Medical Officer on CFS/ME Member of NICE Guideline Development Group for 'diagnosis and management of CFS/ME'
Department of Education:	Access to Education for Children with Medical Needs
Royal College of Paediatrics:	Guidelines for Paediatricians on CFS/ME Leaflet on CFS/ME for young patients (Chairman) Epidemiological research of children with ME Research into aetiology of CFS/ME
Royal College of Physicians:	Patient Liaison Committee Education and Training Committee

Lecture Titles

Jill's expertise in working within the voluntary sector, added to her knowledge and experience of 20 years teaching gives her a head-start if you are looking for a lecturer to explain:

• Building an inclusive membership organisation
• Working with young volunteers at a distance
• A successful route to starting up a charity
• What is M.E. and how to explain it to your child/doctor/teacher/partner/parent/etc
• How to manage energy and achieve recovery, whatever your age

Published papers

• 'Integrating profoundly deaf (signing) children into mainstream education' - Journal of Teachers of the Deaf 1980 [presentation of paper at international conference for teachers of the deaf.]
• 'Development of Functional Ability Scale for children and young people with ME' Journal of Child Health. March 2005
• 'Guidelines for teachers': Booklet included in AYME's video educational pack

Understandable Books

Keen to move away from the difficult and complex scientific text seen in many works of non-fiction, Jill Moss uses her teaching skills to make subjects understandable and fun.

A Ray of Hope
'A Ray of Hope' is a re-written version of 'Somebody Help ME'. It is written for any age group that wants a no-nonsense approach to learning about the illness ME/CFS, using simple, down-to-earth language and relevant scenarios.



Three Villains
Three Villains is an update on scientific thinking in the illness. It is a layperson's guide to understanding the work of Dr. David Bell and his theory of how Orthostatic Intolerance is involved in the illness ME.




Charity Begins at Home
The unique, inclusive structure of the Association of Young People with ME soon became the talking point of other charities. AYME incorporates so many young volunteers who are given strong support from paid staff whilst continuing to feel ownership of their organisation. Articles were printed in national volunteering magazines and Dr Moss asked to lecture on AYME's success.
Jill was encouraged to write her third book Charity Begins at Home that charts the accomplishments of the organisation and attempts to find the key to its success, such that other charities can follow.