Being recognised at Beat's birthday awards

Twenty five years of fighting back at eating disorders and educating people about the impact they have deserves a year of celebration, right? Well, that's exactly what Beat is doing throughout '14.

The charity has launched a five-point 25th Anniversary Manifesto. Five little promises it's making to help improve life for those affected by eating disorders. Five points which they (and I) hope prevent people suffering in the first place. Five areas in which other people can pledge to join the fight on too. Those little promises are things I'm proud to say I've already actively been pushing for since becoming a Media Volunteer for Beat during my own recovery, which leads me nicely on to the Beat Awards. 

I was honoured to find out I had been nominated and then short-listed for a Beat Volunteer Recognition Award for the campaigning I do on those very pledges. Seriously, honoured. 

An invitation landed in my inbox to a special event at the House of Commons on the 4th June during National Volunteers Week and I found out about the inspiring folk I was up against in the 'Public Awards' Campaigning category. First thoughts? No chance. But I found a little black dress, dusted off my Viv Westwood shoes and my amazing friend Ilona and I headed to the smoke. 

 

We were greeted by the Beat team onto the Thames-side Terrace Pavilion and spent time sipping wine and talking to other volunteers, MPs and eating disorders advocates. I was honoured that both my local MP, Jeremy Lefroy and Brooks Newmark MP came along to support me, after all it's them I keep pestering to help make change possible. Caroline Nokes MP, who chairs the All-Party group which got eating disorders talked about in parliament opened the event. Minister for Civil Society Nick Hurd MP spoke and presented the first award, the Lifetime Achievement Award to Diana Davis.

Jeremy Lefroy MP, me and Brooks Newmark MP

Next the awards move on to the other categories, from innovation, to fundraising and from education to support. Then it was time for the campaigning award, recognising; 

"A volunteer who is a passionate and powerful champion; demonstrating enthusiasm and passion, they provide a voice in helping to achieve Beat’s mission."

I was one of four nominees, along with Helen Missen, a Beat Cymru Ambassador, fellow media volunteer Jenny Cole and Rosie Driffill, Self Help and Support Groups Facilitator and Publicity Officer. And then my name was read out by Beat's Chief Executive, Susan Ringwood and my award handed to me by Caroline Nokes MP. I'd only gone and won it. 

Caroline Nokes MP, Me and my MP, Jeremy Lefroy. 

I am beyond honoured to have been recognised for the work I've done to support Beat's mission, I never thought I'd be able to make a difference. I just talk, share and stand up for what I believe. However, winning this award isn't just about what I do, but it's a reminder that collectively we CAN all make a difference. I do nothing special other than be honest about what it's like to have anorexia and be fighting it. Personally, I will keep pushing for what I believe needs to change and in my own recovery, I'm going to use it as a reminder of the part I can play in preventing others going through what I have.

With the other Award winners, Susan Ringwood and Caroline Nokes MP

So, I'm really bad at being proud of myself, as you may imagine with my illness, so I'll leave my final words to one of the people who nominated me: "Sarah is an inspiration to many. Still in recovery from anorexia she spends much of her time campaigning, getting involved in Beat's mission and also using her position as a journalist for good. She actively participates in her local NHS Trust and has lobbied her MP - even managing to secure a meeting in Parliament. She is a champion of Beat, active on her blog and social media and consistently participates in media opportunities helpling to enforce Beat's Guidelines and raise awareness."

Here's the gushy 'Oscar style' bit; Thank you to all of you who've read my blog, listened to my rants, retweeted my awareness tweets and to everyone who's supported my own recovery. To my EDU team who saved my life. Thank you to Jeremy Lefroy for his continued support. Thank you to Brooks Newmark who actively keeps in touch with me and to BEAT for allowing me to do what I do. To Ilona for inspiring me and kicking me in the right direction daily. And always, to all my friends and family for your belief that I can beat anorexia, even when I worry I won't. 

I really wouldn't be able to do any of this without you, and trust me when I say, I haven't even got started on the waves I want to make yet. 

See the FULL list of inspiring winners and what they've done for ED awareness HERE

Whispering about eating disorders in Westminster

When I have my mind set on doing something, it often becomes hard to stop me striving to change the thing  I feel passionately about. That comes in handy sometimes.

And there's not much that comes close to matching how determined I am to raise awareness of eating disorders and push for quicker access to specialist services for people trapped by them.

That's why at the start of last year I wrote to my local MP Jeremy Lefroy, during Eating Disorders Awareness Week, urging him to listen and to take action to change things here in Staffordshire and right across the UK.

We're lucky in Stafford to have an excellent eating disorders service, but even our neighbouring NHS trusts are still short of the specialists and when they do have them, the challenge is getting access. Quickly. Even The Royal College of Psychiatrists say the level of specialist care out there is not good enough. 

If nothing else, I hope other services can learn from the multi-disciplinary approach I know I'm lucky enough to get. I know cash is short, but when eating disorders alone rack up healthcare costs of £80-100 million every year and affect at least 1.6 million people, it's got to be worth investment, right? 

If we think of the wider economy, eating disorders cost an estimated £1.26 billion in England alone. Shocking, yet preventable. 

Jeremy Lefroy (second left) with the EDU team at SS&SFT and me.

Since writing, I've met with Mr Lefroy at his Stafford office, he's visited my EDU, met with staff and learnt more about how things work here - I'm trying to arm him with enough of the facts to take the issues to the top. The very top.

And that's what he and I did, we arranged to meet with the inspiring Brooks Newmark, MP for Braintree, who's also an eating disorder survivor himself. 

So, in November I caught a train to London, hoped off at Westminster, jumped feet first into the heart of Parliament and met Jeremy and Brooks at Porticullis House, avec an large americano, of course. 

We discussed the findings of Beat's shocking Waiting Times research, which highlighted more than a quarter (26%), that's one in four sufferers, have to wait longer than six months before they're referred to a specialist OP service, in which time many people's desire to recover reduced. 

I shared my experience and was able to hear first-hand about Brooks' own battles and why he is also keen to keep eating disorders on the agenda, and of course we spoke about ideas for change.

Brooks Newmark MP

Of which I have lots, firstly education, education and more education to break down the stigma in schools and arm teachers, friends, parents and doctors with the facts to provide early intervention. Who could argue that this would be a way to PREVENT eating disorders from taking control at all? 

But when they do start to ruin lives? Well, that's when the Government needs to ensure the right services are in the right place and at the right time. It would cost the NHS a lot less to treat the early signs of eating disorders, than it does right now to rescue people from crisis.  

This is what I want to keep at the forefront of politicians' conciousness, until we can see changes to the way eating disorders are viewed and until more people are getting help, sooner. I can't do this alone, and knowing who they know, and with me pushing from behind, I'm sure both MPs can ensure our voices are heard in the right ears. 

There is much more to do and so much more to say, but as I think both Jeremy and Brooks have already realised, I'm not going anywhere any time soon.

I will go to Parliament, speak openly, tweet and meet as many people, as many times as it takes until I feel change is happening. 

Just you watch me.