Christmas Social - 8th December 2025

2pm - 4pm, Monday 8th December 2025

The Circle, 33 Rockingham Lane, Sheffield S1 4FW

Please add the SMEFG Christmas Gathering to your diary. The full programme is below:

2:00pm - Arrival & friendly chat

2:20pm - Welcome by Carolyn Leary

2:30pm - Poem by Marie King

2:35pm - Research Update by Caroline Dalton

3:00pm - Interval for refreshments

3:20pm - The Belle Haggs quartet 

3:35pm - Relax, Breathe & Sing 

3:40pm - SMEFG Christmas Quiz

4:00pm - Closing thanks

Please see below more details of the entertainment and presentations we will have at our Christmas social. 

You can enjoy this event in-person at The Circle, or online from the comfort of home.

If you would like to join online please register here: bit.ly/SMEFG-XMAS-2025

In-person registration is now closed and our catering numbers are confirmed. If you haven’t registered but would still like to attend in person, please contact the office at info@sheffieldmegroup.co.uk

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Entertainment & Presentations

Poem by Marie King

Sheffield ME and Fibromyalgia Group member Marie King will present a reading of winter-themed poetry

Caroline Dalton - ME/CFS Research Progress During 2025 - presentation

Caroline is Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Genetics at Sheffield Hallam University where she carries out research into ME/CFS and Long COVID. Caroline is also a trustee at Sheffield ME and Fibromyalgia Group. She will give us an update on research highlights from 2025 including the findings from DecodeME and her research study on mitochondrial function. She will also look ahead to 2026 including plans for future clinical trials in Long COVID and ME/CFS and the objectives for PRIME, (Building infrastructure for Patients, Researchers and Industry for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis), a UK project that she is helping to lead. 

The Belle Haggs quartet

The Belle Haggs quartet will perform a selection of festive favourites, including Winter Wonderland, Ding Dong! Merrily on High, and We Wish You a Merry Christmas.

There will be a special performance by the Relax, Breathe and Sing group.

SMEFG Christmas Quiz

We’ve put together a festive quiz to put your Christmas knowledge to the test!

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Your safety is important to us

As a charity created to support the needs of members with chronic illnesses, that can be exacerbated by Covid, flu or any symptoms of illness (including but not limited to fever, cough, cold, vomiting, diarrhoea), we are taking the following approach at our Christmas Social:

• We have borrowed four air purifiers and a CO2 monitor from Breathe Easy Sheffield (https://breathe-easy.uk/) which will be in the space; we are grateful for their support. We will also open doors and windows if required.

• This is a mask friendly space, masks will be available for anyone wishing to use one.

• All SMEFG staff and volunteers will be offered a Lateral Flow Test (LFT) before the event.

• If you can, please take an LFT on the morning of the event, especially if you may have been exposed to Covid-19 recently. Please note that this is optional. Tests are available at Superdrug, Boots, other high-street pharmacies and online.

• Please do not attend in person if you or anyone in your household has Covid-19, flu, or any symptoms of illness (e.g., fever, cough, cold, vomiting, diarrhoea). Long-term conditions like hayfever or COPD are excluded, just let us know beforehand. If unsure, email us at info@sheffieldmegroup.co.uk.

For detailed Covid-19 safety guidance, also relevant for preventing other airborne viruses such as flu, visit our website here: https://www.sheffieldmegroup.co.uk/covid-19-safety-information

If you become unwell after attending this event, please let us know as soon as possible. This helps us notify other attendees so they can be more mindful of symptoms, take extra precautions, and avoid unintentionally passing anything on to others. 

Please let us know if you have any questions or comments in relation to our approach to maintaining safety practices within our activities, info@sheffieldmegroup.co.uk

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Parking and Accessibility at The Circle:

• Visitors to The Circle can get a 50% discount on their parking at Rockingham Street Q-Park, which is less than a 5 minute walk from The Circle. You can prebook a space via this link (https://www.q-park.co.uk/en-gb/cities/sheffield/rockingham-street/), using the discount code CIRCRO50 (please note you will need to book in advance of arriving).

• We also have 3 accessible parking spaces by the building which can be booked in advance by visitors with accessibility requirements. Please get in touch to book a space at info@thecirclesheffield.org.uk.

• Please note our conference rooms are on the ground floor, and are level access from the main entrance. There are steps from the rear car park entrance, but a wheelchair lift is available. All other rooms are on the first floor, which is accessible via a lift.

• There is a prayer room available on the 1st floor.

If you have any questions please email info@sheffieldmegroup.co.uk