No Bodies Perfect is Scotland's Charity for Eating Disorders and provides support, information and awareness of eating disorders. We provide support, social, training, and information services. Our aim is to provide support to eating disorder sufferers; increase awareness of eating disorders; reduce stigma and challenge stereotypes. We have already started this journey and will continue to work to achieve these aims.
Our motto is: your voice counts : recovery exists!
1. To provide information, help, support and understanding to all individuals affected by eating disorders, and who either attend our support and social services, attend our events or meetings, join any of our sub-groups or enquire about our project and services.
2. To provide a supportive and encouraging environment so that all service users can express their thoughts, feelings and concerns freely, share their experiences openly and receive support, understanding and a listening ear at all times.
3. To provide a friendly and non-judgemental project that is open to anyone (over 18 years old) affected by eating disorders, regardless of age, sex, religion, culture, ethnic group, social background, occupation or sexual orientation.
4. To provide a confidential and safe service for individuals to talk and express themselves freely and to respect those who do not wish to talk.
5. To abide by the ground rules and boundary guidelines proposed and documented.
6. To provide a project that respects confidentiality, privacy and diversity at all times. Confidentiality forms must be completed by service users, volunteers and visitors, as, and when, required.
7. To develop our services over time. This may include support services; online services; information services; education and outreach; social and recreational activities and eating disorder awareness.
8. To secure funds via donations, fundraising, grants and awards.
9. To schedule regular meetings with the Management Committee/Board of Trustees to review our services, update on our tasks, share ideas and experiences, develop our work and discuss current and future tasks and developments.
10. To ensure that the project and its services are accessible to as many individuals, groups and organisations as possible through networking, advertising, events, publicity and other forms of communication.
The charity was founded by Alexandra O’Brien in May 2010 following her own previous 14 year history with an eating disorder, which started in her late teens. When she recovered, she knew that she wanted to provide support for other people struggling with eating disorders. Her background in psychology and counselling also heightened her aim of supporting other people with eating problems, particularly in Scotland. She has completed undergraduate and postgraduate training in Psychology, and undergraduate degrees in English, as well as postgraduate training in Clinical Hypnotherapy, Counselling and Stress Management Consultancy, and currently a professional Specialist Diploma in Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, accredited by COSCA and BACP.
Alexandra has lots of experience in eating disorders, including academic research and working directly with individuals with eating disorders. She is also Founder and Editor of The Voice: a support and news magazine for eating disorders. She has written a number of articles for The Voice, including conducting a recent study on The Value of Support Groups on Eating Disorders. She is also a member of many organisations, including the Scottish Eating Disorders Interest Group, of which she is a committee member.
The charity also involves various other volunteers – 19 in total at the moment (as well as ‘casual’ or ‘temporary’ volunteers who help out now and again). Volunteer position include: Assistant Managers, Assistant Group Facilitators, Student Group Supervisor, Newsletter and Research Assistants, Recovery Representatives, Eating Disorders Awareness Group Leader, Eating Disorder Awareness Assistants, Events and Fundraising Assistants, as well as those who a members of the management committee.
Many of the No Bodies volunteers have completed training with the eating disorders charity Beat, British Psychological Society training in Managing Self-Harm, Volunteer Manager Training, amongst other things – we actively look out for new training opportunities for all our volunteers. Many of the volunteers also have previous personal experience of eating disorders and mental health issues, and many come from various backgrounds, including psychology, mental health, counselling, nursing, alternative therapies, mental health and education.
We also have a team of Recovery Representatives. We are always actively looking to new Recovery Representatives to join the team, especially as it is a pretty new initiative, but exciting to get people together who have recovered from an eating disorder or are in the late stages of an eating disorders. Recovery Representatives act as positive role models, and provide hope, support and inspiration to those who are currently struggling with food and eating issues, and show that recovery is possible.
No Bodies Perfect (formerly The Positive Steps Eating Disorders Support Group Glasgow) was founded in May 2010. Since then, the small group has grown into an established eating disorders charity in Glasgow and Scotland-wide and is known for its work all over the UK, and even to some people in the USA and Australia. No Bodies Perfect is a Scottish Registered Charity (SC043354).
No Bodies Perfect has provided face-to-face support to over 400 people during support group sessions. Many more people have received support via our Online Support Services, Information Service, Recovery Representatives, talks and presentations, workshops, articles, research, Coffee and Chat Clubs, Art and Creative Classes, Book Club, Eating Disorder Support Website, Newsletters and The Voice Magazine. We aim to increase our services to other areas as well as increase the number of services we provide by applying for grants and funding.
Our aim is to provide support to eating disorder sufferers; increase awareness of eating disorders; reduce stigma and challenge the stereotypes surrounding eating disorders. We have already started this journey and will continue to work to achieve these aims.
We have had 1000s of enquiries from individuals, psychologists, psychiatrists, charities, counsellors, colleges and universities, carers, community mental health teams and many more, either wanting to join the support group sessions or wanting more information about what we do.
The project is very valuable to a great many people who are struggling with various forms of eating and food distress. We do receive a lot of enquiries from people all over Scotland who wish a similar service in their area. We hope to start more support groups in the future. Our members are from all areas – Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire, Edinburgh, Stirling, Inverclyde, North and South Lanarkshire, Ayrshire, and Renfrewshire – so we are not exclusively a ‘Glasgow’ charity.
Our list of services includes the following (more detailed information is provided in the section Our Services):
Eating Disorder Support Group Sessions (weekly)
Eating Disorders Information Website and Eating Disorders Support Website
Eating Disorders Community Awareness Group
Information Service
Recovery Representatives Team
Eating Disorders Support Forum for Sufferers and Carers
Charity Aims
ReplyDelete1. To provide information, help, support and understanding to all individuals affected by eating disorders, and who either attend our support and social services, attend our events or meetings, join any of our sub-groups or enquire about our project and services.
2. To provide a supportive and encouraging environment so that all service users can express their thoughts, feelings and concerns freely, share their experiences openly and receive support, understanding and a listening ear at all times.
3. To provide a friendly and non-judgemental project that is open to anyone (over 18 years old) affected by eating disorders, regardless of age, sex, religion, culture, ethnic group, social background, occupation or sexual orientation.
4. To provide a confidential and safe service for individuals to talk and express themselves freely and to respect those who do not wish to talk.
5. To abide by the ground rules and boundary guidelines proposed and documented.
6. To provide a project that respects confidentiality, privacy and diversity at all times. Confidentiality forms must be completed by service users, volunteers and visitors, as, and when, required.
7. To develop our services over time. This may include support services; online services; information services; education and outreach; social and recreational activities and eating disorder awareness.
8. To secure funds via donations, fundraising, grants and awards.
9. To schedule regular meetings with the Management Committee/Board of Trustees to review our services, update on our tasks, share ideas and experiences, develop our work and discuss current and future tasks and developments.
10. To ensure that the project and its services are accessible to as many individuals, groups and organisations as possible through networking, advertising, events, publicity and other forms of communication.
History and Background of No Bodies Perfect
ReplyDeleteThe charity was founded by Alexandra O’Brien in May 2010 following her own previous 14 year history with an eating disorder, which started in her late teens. When she recovered, she knew that she wanted to provide support for other people struggling with eating disorders. Her background in psychology and counselling also heightened her aim of supporting other people with eating problems, particularly in Scotland. She has completed undergraduate and postgraduate training in Psychology, and undergraduate degrees in English, as well as postgraduate training in Clinical Hypnotherapy, Counselling and Stress Management Consultancy, and currently a professional Specialist Diploma in Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, accredited by COSCA and BACP.
Alexandra has lots of experience in eating disorders, including academic research and working directly with individuals with eating disorders. She is also Founder and Editor of The Voice: a support and news magazine for eating disorders. She has written a number of articles for The Voice, including conducting a recent study on The Value of Support Groups on Eating Disorders. She is also a member of many organisations, including the Scottish Eating Disorders Interest Group, of which she is a committee member.
The charity also involves various other volunteers – 19 in total at the moment (as well as ‘casual’ or ‘temporary’ volunteers who help out now and again). Volunteer position include: Assistant Managers, Assistant Group Facilitators, Student Group Supervisor, Newsletter and Research Assistants, Recovery Representatives, Eating Disorders Awareness Group Leader, Eating Disorder Awareness Assistants, Events and Fundraising Assistants, as well as those who a members of the management committee.
Many of the No Bodies volunteers have completed training with the eating disorders charity Beat, British Psychological Society training in Managing Self-Harm, Volunteer Manager Training, amongst other things – we actively look out for new training opportunities for all our volunteers. Many of the volunteers also have previous personal experience of eating disorders and mental health issues, and many come from various backgrounds, including psychology, mental health, counselling, nursing, alternative therapies, mental health and education.
We also have a team of Recovery Representatives. We are always actively looking to new Recovery Representatives to join the team, especially as it is a pretty new initiative, but exciting to get people together who have recovered from an eating disorder or are in the late stages of an eating disorders. Recovery Representatives act as positive role models, and provide hope, support and inspiration to those who are currently struggling with food and eating issues, and show that recovery is possible.
No Bodies Perfect (formerly The Positive Steps Eating Disorders Support Group Glasgow) was founded in May 2010. Since then, the small group has grown into an established eating disorders charity in Glasgow and Scotland-wide and is known for its work all over the UK, and even to some people in the USA and Australia. No Bodies Perfect is a Scottish Registered Charity (SC043354).
No Bodies Perfect has provided face-to-face support to over 400 people during support group sessions. Many more people have received support via our Online Support Services, Information Service, Recovery Representatives, talks and presentations, workshops, articles, research, Coffee and Chat Clubs, Art and Creative Classes, Book Club, Eating Disorder Support Website, Newsletters and The Voice Magazine. We aim to increase our services to other areas as well as increase the number of services we provide by applying for grants and funding.
Our aim is to provide support to eating disorder sufferers; increase awareness of eating disorders; reduce stigma and challenge the stereotypes surrounding eating disorders. We have already started this journey and will continue to work to achieve these aims.
Our Eating Disorder Services
ReplyDeleteWe have had 1000s of enquiries from individuals, psychologists, psychiatrists, charities, counsellors, colleges and universities, carers, community mental health teams and many more, either wanting to join the support group sessions or wanting more information about what we do.
The project is very valuable to a great many people who are struggling with various forms of eating and food distress. We do receive a lot of enquiries from people all over Scotland who wish a similar service in their area. We hope to start more support groups in the future. Our members are from all areas – Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire, Edinburgh, Stirling, Inverclyde, North and South Lanarkshire, Ayrshire, and Renfrewshire – so we are not exclusively a ‘Glasgow’ charity.
Our list of services includes the following (more detailed information is provided in the section Our Services):
Eating Disorder Support Group Sessions (weekly)
Eating Disorders Information Website and Eating Disorders Support Website
Eating Disorders Community Awareness Group
Information Service
Recovery Representatives Team
Eating Disorders Support Forum for Sufferers and Carers
Online Support
The Voice Eating Disorder Support Magazine
Newsletters
Training and Consultation
Student Eating Disorder Group
No Bodies Perfect Lending Library
Eating Disorders Book Club
Coffee and Chat Club
Arts and Creative Classes
Workshops
Stress Management and Relaxation Classes
Telephone Information Line
Fundraising and Events
Volunteering and Placement Opportunities