Eating disorder charity helped 17,802 people since moving to town

A WARRINGTON-based eating disorder charity helped 17,802 people last year – double the number for the previous year.
Beat, is a nation-wide charity and its helpline was relocated to Warrington in February last year.
Since then it has gone from strength to strength with 10 advisors employed and 10 trained volunteers supporting individuals reaching out about their eating disorder or for information to support the recovery of someone they know.
Individuals contacted the helpline on 27,439 different occasions via phone, anonymous one-to-one webchat, email, or direct messaging from social media. This also includes message boards and online support groups.
Since moving its helpline to Warrington, the charity introduced new webchat and direct messaging options so that many people who may otherwise have felt unable to ask for support because of stigma could do so. For example, 38 per cent of people using the webchat suffered from binge eating disorder, compared to 20 per cent of service users overall.
An estimated 1.25 million people in the UK suffer from an eating disorder and on average they face a delay of three and a half years before they get treatment.
Beat’s chief executive Andrew Radford said, “Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that can affect people of any background, age or gender. Sufferers may find it difficult to start on the road to recovery, but support is available and asking for help is a big first step.
“Next year we aim to help 40,000 people through our Warrington helpline. Recovery is possible and the staff and volunteers at the helpline are there to help people on their way towards that goal.”