Story
On September 12th I will be running alongside Jess and her Uncle Mark in the Great North Run half-marathon. We will be running to support the charity BEAT and to raise awareness about eating disorders. BEAT is a leading UK charity whose mission is to end the pain and suffering caused by eating disorders. BEAT estimates that around 1.25 million people in the UK are suffering from such illnesses; however, this number is likely much larger due to many suffering in silence. As with many other mental illnesses, eating disorder cases have risen sharply during the pandemic whilst many of the services have been ‘chronically underfunded’.
Eating disorders are commonly misunderstood illnesses. BEAT and their ambassadors work to dispel myths and highlight the complexities of these illnesses as well as provide support for those in need. Eating disorders devastate families, they can affect people of all ages, genders and backgrounds. Common eating disorders include: bulimia, avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (AFRID), binge eating disorder and anorexia which has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, though all can be fatal.
As some of you may know, Jess suffered from anorexia when she was just 13 and took many years to fully recover. Jess now works with BEAT as an ambassador, fundraising for the charity and working with professionals to help them understand what it’s like to suffer with an eating disorder. BEAT have helped millions of people and continue to save lives. The charity is very close to our hearts and any donations that you can make would mean the world to us. From myself and everyone associated with BEAT, thank you so much for any donations, it makes a massive difference.
(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. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.)