At the time, Leigh and her family struggled to get the information and support they felt they needed, so Leigh founded a Social Enterprise called TEDS a pro-recovery group, set up to help, encourage and offer support to parents/families and sufferers who required information and assistance with the eating disorder. TEDS open to anyone who requires emotional support, guidance and the opportunity to talk to other sufferers or carers in a secure, confidential environment.

What we do

Leigh believes in prevention, and early intervention and she developed and delivered workshops in schools throughout the North West to educate and raise awareness to pupils. She is passionate about supporting parents as well as sufferers and she campaigned for the NHS to offer support to parents and carers. Working in partnership with Ruth Carson, Lead Consultant Psychotherapist at the NHS Eating Disorders Service, and through her links with Professor Janet Treasure OBE and Gill Todd, a Senior Clinician at Kings College, London, Leigh delivered the first ever parent’s monthly support programme supporting parents of sufferers within the service. This support for parents continued, something that Leigh is still proud of. However, many people do not engage in the NHS services provided, or are discharged when they are still unwell, so Leigh and her team of volunteers developed a befriending service to offer ongoing support.

Beat

Leigh’s expertise in this field has led to her becoming an “Empowering Families Champion” for Beat, undergoing specialist training to run a programme for parents on a voluntary basis. She is also an “Experienced Carers Coach” and trained in Motivational Interviewing Techniques at Guys Hospital, London, as part of the ECHO research project supporting parents of sufferers.

Conferences

In 2009, with no financial support, Leigh and her team of volunteers organised the first ever Eating Disorders Health Conference in the North West at Liverpool John Moores University to raise awareness. She brought together health professionals, sufferers, and carers in a collaborative way and was thrilled when Professor Janet Treasure OBE, and Professor Simon Gowers, two of the country’s leading Eating Disorders specialists participated in this event. Dr Sandeep Ranote, an eminent psychiatrist specialising in Eating Disorders also supported the event and has continued to be a tremendous ally to TEDS. The conference was an outstanding success and has now become an annual event attracting specialists in the field of Eating Disorders who share their expertise in order to help anyone affected by the illness.

Children and Young Persons Eating Disorders Pathway

Following the first conference, Leigh met with key staff from NHS Services over a 2 year period, looking at improving children’s services in the city. This has resulted in the further development of a Children and Young Persons ED pathway, which is now in place in every GP system in Liverpool.