About Post-PolioUK.org

Polio survivors are veterans of a forgotten war against a once deadly or disabling viral disease, now largely defeated by vaccination programmes.

Post-PolioUK began in 1994 in an informal way when Fred Griffin, a Leicestershire Polio survivor contacted the local newspaper, inviting any other local Polio survivors experiencing puzzling new health problems, to meet for a coffee morning. From these informal beginnings, the group evolved, as registered charity no 1053269. In 2003 we became Post-PolioUK, reflecting changing membership.

One of our first members was James McVay whose computer expertise enabled us to establish ourselves amongst the world-wide Post-polio community, where our eyes were opened to medical information unavailable in this country. It became our mission to circulate this knowledge, thus enabling Polio survivors to protect their health and functioning.

We are very grateful to our paid up members whose support enables a much greater number and range of people; survivors, carers, families and health and social care professionals, to utilise our website as a free source of information.

Due to the success of vaccination programmes, British Polio survivors are reducing numerically year on year, with an average age of 59 years when we began in the mid 90’s. From the outset therefore we had an “Exit strategy” acknowledging scarcity of active volunteers and absence of any external funding. We have no paid staff, no offices, and a tight focus on information sharing and mutual support. There are many organisations nationally that offer holidays, sporting activities, welfare rights advice etc and we do not duplicate their expertise, we act as a signpost to them.

We are acutely aware that the youngest survivors, mostly people who contracted Polio in third world countries where the disease remains active, but including the casualties of Britain’s choice of a live vaccine, face an even bleaker medical future than we experience. We build the information base on this site as a resource that we hope will continue to be useful when individually, we no longer can be.

Donations are gratefully received, if you would like to contact our Treasurer, he is:

Mr Mick Jarvis
Post-PolioUK
c/o VAL
PO Box 30
Leicester
LE1 7ZX

Our bank account is in our name i.e. Post-PolioUK

We thank you for your interest what ever your decision.