The Friends of the Phoenix Centre
“The Friends are a fairly new venture that is constantly looking for more support. But so far we've done very well.” — Jo Davenport, chairman
Based at the Ida Darwin site at Fulbourn near Cambridge, The Phoenix Centre is a ten-bed unit offering high quality in- and out-patient care for sufferers of eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia. These devastating and complex disorders often include over-exercising and sometimes obsessive-compulsive and self-harming behaviours.
Started in April 2003, the 25-member Friends of the Phoenix Centre assist the families and children who experiencing the traumas of an eating disorder. They understand what a difficult experience this can be and aim to make the stay of the family as comfortable as possible. They raise funds to improve the facilities. In addition, they hope to improve awareness and understanding of eating disorders through communication and fundraising.
The Friends have recently raised funds to convert part of the building into a family sitting room and conservatory, where patients can spend time alone with their visiting families. This is particularly valuable during the first weeks of treatment when patients are too ill to be allowed home visits. Previously, all that was available to visitors were the general open plan lounge or the patients' bedrooms. The sitting room overlooks an enclosed grass area, and the Friends would like to create a garden there to give a more attractive outlook.
The biggest challenge was to raise enough money to fund the family sitting room project while still funding other smaller projects at the centre. The Friends will continue raising money for the project, organise the creation of the garden, and raise funds for other projects in the centre; the Friends have been successful so far in purchasing computers and recreational equipment. For the future, the group is looking to obtain support from businesses locally and nationally. They hope that patients, parents and schools will participate in the fundraising activities and help raise the profile of the group.
Created July 24, 2012
The Friends of the Phoenix Centre benefit from Attend membership, which includes comprehensive charity insurance cover. For more information, or to join, please click here.
