Our names are Janine  and Emma  We are currently Health Care Assistants working in an Eating Disorder centre in Sutton Coldfield. The centre is a specialist eating disorder centre for the treatment of young people aged 12 to 18 with anorexia and bulimia. The centre’s comprehensive inpatient programme has been developed to meet the distinctive psychological, medical, educational and social needs of young people with eating disorders.

Over 1.6 million people in the UK are directly effected by eating disorders. That means thousands of lives are lost each year and many more bright futures are destroyed. Eating disorders are a serious mental illness not a fad or diet gone wrong and include many complicated issues around body image, family dynamics and emotional well being.

Seeing patients each day fighting there battle, with many overcoming this mental health disorder and leaving the centre has inspired us to raise money for the charity Beat, the UK’s leading charity for people and there families effected by eating disorders. Beat’s vision is simple: Eating disorders will be beaten.

Beat have been supporting people and their families that have been effected by an eating disorder for 21 years providing a range of support from forming the Eating disorder association, providing professional help, providing qualified staff on its phone line and website and training and providing education for the public and professionals within the health service.

 In September we will take the plunge of 10,000 ft Skydive, including a 5,000 ft free fall to raise much needed money for Beat. We must raise at least £800 to ensure a substantial amount is given to Beat. We would be very grateful if you helped us raise this money by sponsoring our event.

We have invited the local newspapers in Sutton Coldfield and Cannock to become involved by covering our progress and our jump on the day, providing details of the charity and the sponsors that are involved.

Every single penny counts and we would be very thankful if you can help us in any way.

 Now more than ever we need to help promote the help and support that is available to people suffering with this devastating mental illness. We need to educate people to understand eating disorders and how we can promote recovery and prevent more and more young people developing this illness at such young ages and if effecting there whole lives.