Inverclyde marked International ME Awareness Day 2024 with a number of local features turning blue for 12th May.
12th May is International ME Awareness Day when organisations and individuals recognise and support the millions of people world-wide who are affected by ME/CFS and other chronic immunological and neurologic diseases.
In 2022 Perth was bathed in blue for the night, 2023 was marked in a similar fashion by landmarks in Glasgow, and this year Inverclyde answered ME Research UK’s call.
ME Research UK is grateful to Inverclyde Council for showing solidarity with those affected by the disease and allowing their built heritage to be used to raise awareness of ME on 12th May.
The 10 metre (33 feet) tall stainless-steel figures of ‘Shipbuilders of Port Glasgow’ at Coronation Park by John McKenna were bathed in blue to mark not only International ME Awareness Day 2024 but also International Nurses Day. Erected in 2023 and known locally as ‘The Skelpies’ the statues commemorate the shipbuilders of Port Glasgow and the Lower Clyde.
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In addition, the historic Lyle Fountain was likewise illuminated. The fountain, standing in Clyde Square near to the Municipal Buildings was gifted to the Corporation of Greenock in 1880 by Abram Lyle, the founder of the Lyle sugar refinery which would later merge with Henry Tate’s refinery to form Tate & Lyle.
Local paper ‘The Greenock Telegraph’ also covered the story.
Perth also continued to mark the day as, in fact, 12th May is International Awareness Day for Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases (CIND). The CIND illnesses include Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Fibromyalgia (FM), Gulf War Syndrome (GWS) and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS). Perth therefore illuminated the formed St Paul’s Church in blue for ME and purple for fibromialgia.
