What people say

“Managing any chronic illness over a long period of time is challenging, so it is wonderful to learn that Sussex and Kent ME/CFS Society supports those affected by these conditions and advocates for better care and more research”

“The work of the Sussex & Kent ME/CFS Society is truly inspiring. Their commitment to advocacy, research and supporting those living with ME and CFS has been a guiding light to many. Winning the prestige award in 2025 underlines this and I look forward to seeing the continued impact of their much needed work in our community.”

“Congratulations Colin – a very well deserved Prestige award. It is great that you and the Sussex & Kent ME/CFS Society are getting recognition for all the hard work you put into supporting people with ME/CFS and providing comprehensive and up-to date information from a wide range of perspectives. Well Done!”

“Many Congratulations, Colin, wonderful news and very well deserved. I am not surprised the Sussex & Kent ME Society won this award given the continued and excellent support you provide for people living with ME/CFS and clinicians working in the field. You make such a significant positive difference to all. Your consistent dedication and commitment to improving care and support are second to none.”

“I was very pleased to hear that the Sussex & Kent ME/CFS Society has been awarded the Prestige Award 2025 for Illness Support NPO in the Southeast. Congratulations on this well-earned recognition. Your work over many years has provided vital support to people living with ME/CFS across our region. It’s clear that your long-standing commitment, particularly your work with NHS services and local health authorities, has made a real and lasting impact.”

“I am impressed to read of Sussex and Kent ME/CFS Society’s work, including supporting people with fibromyalgia and long COVID. The government is aware of the devastating effect these conditions can have.”

“The Government is grateful for the amazing work being done by NHS clinicians in ME/CFS services across the country as well as the invaluable contributions of the Sussex & Kent ME/CFS Society.”

“Sussex & Kent ME/CFS Society does such brilliant work supporting and representing many of the nearly 8,000 adults and children affected by myalgic encephalopathy (ME) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) across the extended Sussex and Kent region. The charity also has people affected by fibromyalgia and long Covid amongst their membership, other conditions which can be variable in nature but have a significant impact on people’s lives.”

“As I retire from the Kent & Medway ME/CFS Service, I would like to add my thoughts to the 30 years+ page. Firstly, my congratulations on the longevity and continued success of the Sussex & Kent ME/CFS Society. I had been working as an occupational therapist for just 2 years when the Society was set up. Thinking of all of the changes, and challenges, to the NHS and to healthcare during my career, including those around ME/CFS, helps to set the considerable achievements of the Society in context.”

“Secondly, I would like to thank the Sussex & Kent ME/CFS Society for their valued support during my 16+ years working for the Kent & Medway ME/CFS Service. When I first joined the team, I heard warm reports from my colleagues about the Society, particularly Colin’s role, in relation to helping to establish our service. Since then, the strong links have continued and been much appreciated by our service. On a personal note, I want to thank Colin for his ongoing commitment to circulating informative emails around news and developments in relation to ME/CFS. I have found these to be extremely helpful. In addition, they serve to remind me that we are all part of a network trying to do right by people with ME/CFS.”

“Congratulations to the Sussex & Kent ME Society on its anniversary. What a fantastic achievement! Thank you for continuing to advocate for CFS/ME and raising its profile so that more people, services and evidence are connected. We really value your support in the region and your continued hard work.”

“As a Consultant Physician at Cuckfield Hospital in Sussex I first met Colin Barton in the mid-1980’s. I came to know him through our joint interest in CFS/ME. He was instrumental in establishing the Sussex ME Society in 1987 after extensive discussion with local clinicians and politicians. The Society would have floundered without his vision, determination and persistence. It became a registered charity in 2000. Colin has been the fulcrum around which the Sussex and Kent ME/CFS Society has functioned. In the 1990’s he pursued the finance from central government that was on offer to develop local diagnosis and treatment centres for CFS/ME, and it was mainly due to Colin that the NHS Sussex-wide CFS/ME Service came into being.“

“Thank you for all you do with those affected by ME or CFS and for the work you are undertaking in continuing to enable Sussex and Kent health authorities to set up specialist NHS services to serve people when they are in most need.”

“Thank you to the society for all its efforts in keeping sufferers, clinicians and decision makers informed. I found the newsletters invaluable when assisting constituents with ME/CFS as a councillor, as a parliamentary candidate and as an Office Manager for Des Turner and now Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP. Now that I have a Fibromyalgia diagnosis, I appreciate your work even more with your information always pertinent and a great help.”

“I think Sussex & Kent ME/CFS Society have done a fantastic job to survive and flourish for 30 years in a climate that is often seen as hostile to ME patients, carers and clinicians. It has always been an organisation with a truly open mind that is not afraid to champion unpopular causes and speak common sense in a world where common sense and pragmatism can be sadly lacking. You have supported and made a difference to many many individuals with ME and should be justifiably proud of your achievements. Congratulations and best wishes.”

“Well done to Sussex and Kent CFS/ME Association. They have done an excellent job supporting a very disadvantaged group who now can benefit form good advice and tried and tested treatments. The information and advice provided by the Association has been excellent and this has played a significant part in improving the health of individuals but also bringing better understanding to a wider audience. The information and digests of medical papers that I have received have been invaluable. As a result of these efforts CFS/ME is taken much more seriously and the latest research is beginning to provide real hope for those who have been badly affected.”

“Congratulations to Sussex & Kent ME Society on reaching this grand age. That’s many years of giving people hope and help and advice! ME is still greatly misunderstood and although it’s not referred to any more, in those awful, disparaging tones, as yuppie flu, there is still a long way to go in terms of understanding the devastation it wreaks on peoples lives. How it can come from no where and literally stop you in your tracks. Some of my friends who have suffered with it, have turned their lives round, but I know of plenty of people who haven’t and my heart goes out to them. Charities, like everything else, are suffering in these tough economic times, but somehow they have to find a way to keep going. It’s too important- the work they do. There are too many people depending on them for their day to day survival. So I wish SMES great good luck for the next 30 years. They are wonderfully well established and no doubt will go from strength to strength, but not without the hard work and total dedication of a team of people, dedicated to helping those in need. Well done to you all. Give yourselves a great big pat on the back.”

“The Sussex & Kent ME/CFS Society has established productive collaborative links with research organisations, patient groups, Government committees and professionals of all types. Colin is a great catalyst and stimulus for services to the development of services in CFS/ME and research. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the team on behalf of the many people with CFS/ME who have gained support and encouragement from their efforts.”

“Congratulations to the Sussex and Kent ME association on many years of hard work and tireless campaigning and fundraising on behalf of people affected by CFS/ME. Countless people have benefited from their advice and support delivered by regular informative newsletters and local groups. Their regular medical conferences attract keynote expert speakers working in the CFS/ME field. Colin Barton (as lead of the association) takes a keen interest in the Sussex CFS/ME service and shares latest medical research ideas with us. He works hard to make sure the patients voice is always heard, by speaking on their behalf with MPs and the press. Long may their hard work continue.”

“The ME Association is delighted to send its best wishes and many congratulations to Sussex and Kent ME Society on its anniversary. Starting from just a few members, the hard work of its committee has built the Society into an organisation that has helped thousands of people in Southern England who over the years who have suffered from ME. Colin Barton and his team put in long hours and huge effort to bring relief to ME patients and to get across the message to the public that this illness is a truly life changing one. They have worked tirelessly to help in a practical way, looking for treatments that may help. They have campaigned for medical services for people with ME and have formed a close working relationship with service providers in their region. I have known Colin for many years. He and the team behind Sussex and Kent ME Society can be rightly proud of what they have done. Like all the charities devoted to people with ME, it is the passion and the work of the individuals and their supporters within those charities that make the difference. Well done to you all in Sussex and Kent.”

“I would like to congratulate the Sussex and Kent ME/CFS Society on its work over the past few years. For those of us who have been clinicians in the field of CFS/ME over that time we understand the challenges that this has presented. Despite the fact that scientific knowledge around the condition has only been slowly emerging over that time, the need for people to find support and a reliable source of information has always been vital. The work done by groups, such as Sussex and Kent, is a valuable lifeline for the many people who feel alone in the wilderness. They have worked collaboratively with the NHS and other organisations to find ways to help people and to provide them with a voice. I wish them the best for the future.”

“We wish to send our congratulations and warmest thanks to Sussex and Kent ME Society on reaching their anniversary. Since its inception in 1987, the organisation has campaigned tirelessly to champion the needs of people with ME/CFS. Colin Barton and his small team of volunteers have provided practical advice and support at a time when there was little recognition of the condition and few other services available. In addition to the monthly newsletter, Sussex and Kent ME Society has continued to run conferences on a regular basis, which have raised the profile of ME/CFS both at local and regional levels. The Society has been instrumental in the development of NHS services and we value their ongoing support enormously. We would like to wish Colin Barton and SKMES continued success and we hope they go from strength to strength in the coming years.”

“It is an honour to be associated with the Sussex and Kent ME/CFS Society. It has a robust history of service to the membership in a climate where ME/CFS has been regarded as a Cinderella illness. Thankfully much has changed in the last few years, with the activity of such a society playing a significant role in that change, both at central and local levels. In cost sensitive times an illness without an identifiable cause will always prey to the first cutbacks and the work of the society will increase, and be an ever more important voice for specialist service provision and funding, and not least a haven of hope for those affected by the illness. Congratulations on your journey so far, and strength for the next leg.”

“Hearty congratulations on the anniversary of the Sussex & Kent ME/CFS Society’s foundation. I remember well meeting with Colin Barton and his colleagues for the first time in the eighties when I was a member of parliament for Brighton Kempton and was most impressed by the commitment. Much has been achieved over the years for people with M.E. in the area as well as nationally and the society’s work continues a pace. I have been pleased to remain a patron to the charity and wish you all well for the future.”

“What a wonderful achievement. Congratulations to the Sussex and Kent ME Society on your birthday. You have done such a wonderful job helping patients, engaging with services and supporting research. I hope that by continuing to work together, we can really make a difference to patients and their families in the next few years.  Colin has spent over 30 years leading the Sussex and Kent ME/CFS Society He has worked tirelessly to campaign for service provision and improve research with no self-interest.”