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A local eating disorder charity has welcomed a grant of £10,000 to help continue growing its support services and pushing the message that “early intervention” is vital to help sufferers avoid reaching crisis point.
Jersey Eating Disorders Support (JEDS) was one of 52 charities given a funding boost by the Association of Jersey Charities as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations.
Chairperson Karen Dingle, and her daughter Amy, a peer support worker at the charity, spoke to Express last about how they had become involved with JEDS following Amy's own experiences with an eating disorder, and a desire from both to help others.
The charity offers both one-on-one support with peer support workers, as well as group sessions that give space for both carers and those suffering with the illness to talk.
Though the last time Express spoke to them, the charity was offering sessions predominantly over Zoom, with the world opening up again, it's now expanded to in-person meetings and further into the community.
Pictured: JEDS was one of 52 charities to be awarded £10,000 from the Association of Jersey Charities.
Talking to Express about how the grant is going to help the charity even further, Karen outlined how they were still deciding how to split the funds, but that for the basic upkeep of their services, it was a massive help.
For one, it will keep on funding their Pomme D'Or group support sessions, which are happening now on the first and third Mondays of every month from 18:00 to 19:00.
She noted that the money makes all the difference even for simple things like making sure everyone has a drink at the meetings, giving people a space to "talk about what's going on for them in a safe, confidential environment."
For the first time, the charity has also been able to employed staff rather than just run off volunteers.
Additionally, it will continue to help fund the charity's outreach and efforts to educate the community, delivering six sessions with Hautlieu's PSHE classes.
JEDS is also looking at taking the peer trainers on a specialised UK training course on eating disorders, both to gain valuable knowledge, as well as offer a valuable "bonding experience" for a team that has mostly assembled virtually over the past year.
Earlier this year, eating disorders were reported as having more than tripled over the last four years, with 44 cases recorded as of April 2021, and no service completely dedicated to the condition available to young people for treatment.
Pictured: Karen Dingle and her daughter Amy have worked at JEDS helping to increase awareness and understanding of eating disorders.
Discussing this back in May, Karen said that the charity had seen "a huge increase in members," with Karen citing the pandemic, and the lack of control people felt, as a triggering factor in those predisposed towards the illness.
Five months on, and though things may be expanding within the charity, the core message Karen wants to get out to the island remains the same - that intervention needs to happen as early as possible.
"Something I always say is early intervention... it is so important that it's not left, because when my daughter went to the doctor, it was a case of, 'Let's just see what happens', and that wasn't helpful advice.
"Because in the time they were waiting to see what happened, she lost half her body weight - the eating disorder can develop very quickly, and it's so important that it's dealt with as early as possible.
"So I get really quite upset when I hear that GPs are sending people away to see what happens - delaying treatment - if somebody has got to the stage where they're visiting the doctor because of their eating issues, it's usually means something needs to happen straight away."
She echoed her desire to see the charity work more "alongside adult mental health" too, and see them give out their leaflets so carers also know where they can access support.
She explained that JEDS will always recommend going to a GP and being referred for Government services if someone has a disorder, but that while they wait for their treatment, JEDS would be there to give emotional support for them and their carers.
Equally, for those that did not want to seek help from mental health services, she said JEDS was always open to them talking too, saying she would "rather [they] have support from us than not have any."
Summarising the bond those at JEDS have, she said: "It's amazing to be in a room of people with all different eating disorders, carers caring for people with all different eating disorders, but what joins us is what's going on inside.
"So we all are able to connect because we have that understanding, and it's really lovely to be part of that, to be facilitating a group of people to feel safe to express their emotions."
CLICK HERE to find out more about JEDS.
Earlier this year, Express sat down with JEDS' mother-and-daughter duo, Amy and Karen Dingle, to discuss both what living with an eating disorder entails, why there’s been an increase in adult and child sufferers, and what the island can do to tackle it…
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