PROVIDING advice and support, they help women in intense pain and facing the possibility of infertility.

Little is known of either the condition of Endometriosis or the Southampton support group helping those suffering with the condition.

But the city group are today celebrating after receiving a cheque for £670 courtesy of the Daily Echo cash giveaway.

The money is being used to pay for expert speakers to come and talk to the group and help them with advice and support. Some of the money has also gone to training group leader Ann Keeping to help her provide sufferers with the answers they are looking for.

Causing chronic pain, bowel problems and possible infertility relatively few people are aware of the condition despite two million women in Britain suffering from it.

Ann Keeping – pictured above receiving the cheque from the Daily Echo’s Matt Smith – has run the group for three-years after being handed the ropes by a sufferer after she had run it for around four-years.

Ann, 62, from Hythe, was made aware of the condition after her daughter was diagnosed, she said: “It takes on average ten-years for this to be diagnosed.

“By the time it’s recognised the treatment is very difficult and there is no cure, it’s a question of controlling it and managing it.

“This money means that we can invite specialist speakers in and leave more money to go towards researching better treatment.”