Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I have been supporting beat for nearly two years and have personally used their services for information and support.

My best friend, Sarah, has been battling with an Eating Disorder since the age of 16 and at her worst was given two weeks to live by Doctors.  Nine long years later and although the illness is still there, she is a long way down the recovery road and fighting it with everything she has got.

It is impossible for me to try and explain to anyone the way this illness grabs a person and affects their life and the lives of everyone around them - There really aren't the words.  One thing I do know is that I don't want anyone to ever have to go through the pain and dispair that Sarah, her family and friends had to go through.  An eating disorder is not just about meal times - it affects every second of the day and it can affect anyone regardless of gender, race, age or creed.

I won't try and hit you with facts and figures, although you can visit the beat website if you do wish to know more (www.b-eat.co.uk).  All I will tell you is that :

People affected by eating disorders rarely tell someone else and even when they do, they are usually unable to mention the words themselves. 

Although beat have a telphone support line, their main means of support for both sufferers and carers is via the beat website.  The support forums allow people to communicate with other sufferers/carers and get advice and support which literally get them through each day.  The website has moderators to ensure that all of the messages of support are constructive and so there can be a delay in these messages being posted (especially over a weekend where the delay can be upto 48hrs).  I am hoping to raise enough funds to help improve the website services further so that it can continue to evolve and support its growing user base.

Both Sarah and I have used and will continue to rely upon these online services and I can assure you they have been the main reason we have been able to get through the tough times - this is a real lifeline and is invaluable.

So thank you for taking the time to visit my page and hopefully whichever fundraising event I am currently organising, you will be able to spare some money for this amazing charity.

Thank you

 

Rich (and Sarah!)

 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.