106420/Z/14/Z: Eating Disorders Fixers Platform

Project Summary:Our project will add to traditional research into eating disorders by bringing together and unpicking the experiential evidence of a generation of young people who have become Fixers because they have experienced an eating disorder and want to use their experiences to help others. Wellcome funding will enable 20 groups of Fixers who have experienced eating disorders from across the UK, to join together for the first time and participate in a workshop and debate. (17 groups already exist and t his project would see three further groups recruited.) The young people will share their experiences and learn from each other; they will work with a GOSH specialist consultant to consider the biomedical consequences of an eating disorder and become better able to explain their experiences; they will share experiences with policy makers, practitioners and academics to stimulate debate and frame new understanding. Learning from the event will be used to create new first-hand content (film, digital and printed materials), resources to engage the wider public in discussion about eating disorders through a dedicated area on our website. To drive traffic to this platform, we will use our established media channels of ITV, national and regional press, social media and networks of third sector, public and private organisations. The young people will also engage with their communities. The project will work alongside organisations like b-EAT, SUCCEED Foundation, FEAST, Academy for Eati ng Disorders (International), Eating Disorders Section of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Grant Holder:Ms Margo Horsley

Organisation:Miscellaneous English Provinces

Financial Year:2014/2015