TYMES TRUST - Key Persons
Jane Colby is a former head teacher and a member of the National Association of Educational Inspectors, Advisers and Consultants (now ASPECT). She co-authored the largest ever epidemiological study of ME (Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome 1997) which revealed that ME is the biggest cause of long-term sickness absence from school. As a medical and educational author, she has been published in the Journal of Clinical Pathology, the British Medical Journal, The Lancet, the British Journal of Special Education, Special Children and other journals, and the national press. She now writes and edits the Trust's publications.
Jane prepared the questionnaire for the BBC Panorama programme on ME, is author of ME - The New Plague on the relationship between ME and poliomyelitis, and Zoe's Win (for children with ME). She edited Young Hearts, a collection of inspirational poetry by young people with ME; the foreword is by Terry Waite CBE, who launched the book in the historic venue of Warwick Castle.
Jane was for many years severely disabled with ME due to a virus related to poliomyelitis. As a member of the former Chief Medical Officer's Working Group on CFS/ME, she co-wrote the children's chapter of their report.
Job Titles:
- Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Tymes Trust is the longest established national UK service for children and young people with ME and their families. It is a respected national charity whose entire professional team give their time free of charge. They work constantly with doctors, teachers and other specialists, and played a major role in producing the children's section of the Dept of Health Report on CFS/ME (2002).
In 2010 The Young ME Sufferers Trust received the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service - the MBE for volunteer groups - for pursuing the educational rights of children with ME and advancing their care.
In 1989, two young people with ME published the first Tymes Magazine to give children with ME a voice. For the first time, there was a place for them to share experiences and needs. Tymes Trust became a registered charity in June 2000 and now offers a range of services. We also regularly supply expert information and are consulted by doctors and education specialists as well as families, members of the press and government departments including the DoH and DfES.
The Trust works with NHS Direct, ChildLine, ASPECT, the Nisai Virtual Academy, the Association of School and College Leaders, and has Partner ME Groups around the UK. It is also a member of the ME Alliance of charities and Forward-ME.