Impact Report 2024-25
Welcome from our new Chair of Trustees – Chris Martin
“Over the last eighteen months, we’ve made some incredible progress for our community. We’ve been there for people with eating disorders and those supporting them through our vital support programmes, workshops and Helpline service. We’ve also campaigned for change in Parliament, raised awareness in the media and driven crucial research.
“Behind each of these statistics are real lives: people of all ages and backgrounds dealing with devastating conditions which are too often misunderstood and underserved.
“Thanks to the dedication of our staff, volunteers, partners and supporters, we’ve been able to make a real difference for them. This report captures our achievements, as well as our vision for the future.
We couldn’t be more grateful to you for being here with us.”
The last 18 months in numbers
It’s been a hard few years for the charity sector but we’re recovering from the challenges we’ve faced. A changed landscape has meant we really had to dig deep to make the biggest impact possible for our beneficiaries.
We’re incredibly proud of what we achieved. Here’s how we made the most out of every penny you donated:
We were there when people needed us most
Whether they needed advice on how to navigate the first steps of their treatment journey, support with managing their symptoms or even a listening ear, we were there for people close to 36,000 times by phone, email, web chat and social media via our Helpline.
All supported by our wonderful volunteers who gave us close to 6,500 hours of their time.
Our free multichannel Helpline available 5 days a week offered support, information and signposting by phone, webchat, email, social media and through our facilitated online peer support groups.
96% of the people we supported said they’d recommend the Helpline to a friend.
We helped 374 people with binge eating disorder or binge eating episodes through our clinically-recommended guided self-help programme – Momentum. And it was highly effective with overall participant outcomes improving from 50% to 83% during the programme, reflecting their strengthened motivation, confidence, and recovery-related knowledge.
Nearly 3,500 people contacted us via telephone, email and webchat about difficulties accessing care and we provided them with the information and advice they needed related to the relevant guidelines.
Our website was available 24/7 to help people find the support and information they needed with 1.05 million unique visitors accessing information for themselves or their loved one; taking the first step on their recovery journey.
Including 138,000 people who accessed Helpfinder to find support in their local area and 107,500 people who used our downloadable resources.
"The support is practical but also so kind and understanding. Beat meets you wherever you are with so much compassion and understanding."
“You made me feel heard and like I deserved help and that I was valid.”
And we supported their friends and family
We know that the families and friends of people with eating disorders are a hugely important part of their recovery. We also know that supporting a loved one with an eating disorder can be incredibly challenging. Families and friends often feel scared for their loved one or unsure of the next steps.
Our programmes, for friends and family, offered a safe space and one-to-one support from our associate clinicians. Over the last 18 months, 724 parents and carers have benefitted from our coaching programmes, peer support groups and webinars.
We launched Developing Dolphins 2 – based on our successful Developing Dolphins and Raising Resilience programmes. This eight-week online workshop combines practical skills such as meal planning and communication techniques with psychoeducation and peer-to-peer support, to help those supporting someone with an eating disorder to develop the skills they need.
Alongside Developing Dolphins 2, we ran two other key skills programmes, Nexus – one-to-one support for those supporting someone with an eating disorder – and Anchor – a safe and supportive one to one space for those supporting a young person aged 5-17 with ARFID.
We also continued to support people through our programmes, Endeavour – our facilitated peer-support group for parents and carers supporting a child with ARFID - and Harnessing Hope – our skills workshop for those supporting someone with an enduring eating disorder (one that has been consistently present for five or more years).
POD, our e-learning platform for friends and family caring for people with eating disorders, continued to grow with 4,836 people joining this year. We also held monthly clinician drop-in sessions where people asked our associate clinicians questions on how best to support their loved one.
And, thanks to funding from the Scottish government, we launched a new peer support group which is open to anyone supporting a loved one in Scotland. We’ve also updated our ’Helping a loved one with an eating disorder’ pack with new information, guidance and increased accessibility on mobile.
"Nexus feels like a lifeline for me, and I feel supported and empowered to help my daughter."
We provided training and support for professionals on the frontline
Spotting the early signs of an eating disorder can mean a better chance of early treatment and a sustained recovery. That’s why we’ve continued to train professionals to recognise the signs of eating disorders and be able to offer the right support.
We continued to run our Bridging the Gap, Beyond the Symptoms and Spotting the Signs courses, training an impressive 1,011 education and healthcare professionals.
Alongside our professional training courses, we were commissioned by NHS England to deliver an intensive 4-day training course designed to widen the knowledge and skills required for staff to support children and young people. We worked in collaboration with Central andNorth West London (CNWL) training academy and trained over 200 people.
We also delivered four half day CPD-accredited workshops for those working in healthcare, education and for loved ones of those with eating disorders, with over 3300 people attending. The topics covered included ARFID in Adults, Coping with Celebrations, Autism and eating disorders and a workshop for people based in Scotland.
And finally, School Professionals Online Training (SPOT), our e-learning platform for those working in schools, continued to grow with over 1,400 active users from across the UK accessing the resources they need to support their students by spotting the early signs of an eating disorder and signposting to help.
"Fabulous training, I would highly recommend to other colleagues, lots of useful information and I feel more confident supporting young people and recognising eating disorders. Thank you."
"Excellent. Brilliant training, engaging, real, empathic, knowledgeable and so valuable in my work with the mental health of children and young people."
We spread the word that...
...Anyone can be affected by an eating disorder
We dedicated this year’s Eating Disorders Awareness Week (EDAW) to setting the record straight - that anyone can be affected by an eating disorder. We raised awareness that eating disorders like ARFID, anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder and OSFED are complex medical conditions which are often misunderstood, mislabelled or undiagnosed which can prevent people from reaching out for help. We achieved:
- 626,000 video views
- 2.6 million people reached online
- 83,267 engagements on social media
- 168 mentions in the media across print, online and broadcast outlets including Good Morning Britain, Morning Live and LBC Online
We created new website content to help people spot the signs of an eating disorder, collaborated with our supporters on creating video content and we offered extra support through our online support groups and POD our e-learning platform for those supporting someone with an eating disorder.
...But it didn't stop there
We continued to champion the voices of those with lived experience through our blogs and user generated content on social media. We also added new content about eating disorders and pregnancy, menopause and how to navigate holidays and cultural events such as Ramadan, Eid and Passover.
We created new self-help and self-care resources, and we expanded our information for those supporting someone with an eating disorder, adding pages for those supporting a partner, a parent, a sibling, or a colleague.
Our resources continued to be an important asset for people looking for support – over 1,300 people ordered our printed resources in the last 18 months and over 107,500 accessed our downloadable resources.
And in the media, we raised awareness all year-round appearing 4,500 times over the last 18 months.
Our expert spokespeople have made 34 high-profile appearances, in outlets including BBC Breakfast and Good Morning Britain.
We also provided media consultancy work for TV and film, working with companies like Netflix and Channel 4 to make sure eating disorder storylines were represented responsibly. This year, we worked on Heartstopper and Casualty.
We can’t forget our brilliant media volunteers who’ve shared their stories with journalists from outlets like Vogue and Metro, educating the public about their experiences.
We also appeared on STV, BBC Radio Ulster and ITV Wales. We’ve also been working hard to make eating disorders a part of the political conversation and influence policymakers across the UK to make positive changes for our community. We were mentioned 28 times in parliamentary debates across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
And we’ve campaigned for change
In October 2024, we launched our ‘There’s No Place Like Home’ report at the House of Lords bringing together over 140 people, including NHS leaders, politicians, and people with lived experience, to highlight the urgent need for better access to intensive community and day treatment for eating disorders.
Our report found that only 15% of NHS areas in the UK were providing the recommended level of intensive community and day treatment services for people with eating disorders. The report also contained a review that found expanding access to these treatments would result in better outcomes for patients, meaning that fewer patients need to stay in hospital and in better care. Since the launch, we’ve met with services and national decision-makers across the UK who can help make the changes we need to see. So far, we’ve:
- Helped shape NHS England’s forthcoming national guidance on eating disorder services for both adults and young people.
- Highlighted our findings to contribute to the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan.
- Been invited to support a new review of inpatient care in Wales.
- Supported new research to build the case for intensive community and day treatments.
We helped make the internet a safer place for children
In June 2024, Ofcom consulted on new online safety measures under the Online Safety Act 2023, aimed at protecting children from harmful content on social media. We responded to make sure the needs and experiences of people affected by eating disorders were properly considered, including:
- Making sure positive recovery-focused content wasn’t being unfairly removed from social media channels,
- Raising awareness about the different kind of content that can affect body image.
Our response helped secure stronger and more inclusive protections that better reflect the realities of eating disorder content online.
We campaigned for more research
It’s no secret: there needs to be more quality research on eating disorders, and people with lived experience must be involved. That’s how we ensure those in our community can access the treatment they deserve.
We’ve campaigned for more research funding and for lived experience voices to be at the centre of research.
We empowered those with lived experience
This year, we’ve made a real difference for those with eating disorders and have worked on 7 projects with our amazing 87 experts by experience - people who use their lived experience to shape the future of eating disorder care across the UK.
We continued to work with the Scottish Government, creating a panel of 15 experts by experience to build a patient and carer-friendly version of the National Specification, developed information for the NHS inform website, and fed back on good practice and pathways into services for people in Scotland.
We worked closely with other organisations such as the Empowering Recovery Project where we co-produced digital resources with young people with lived experience from across the UK. We’ve also been working closely with a major tech company to improve online safety and reduce harms.
And lastly, our experts by experience have been integral in shaping the messaging for our new five-year strategy.
And that’s not all - we’ve been making strides in Wales
We’ve worked in partnership to deliver vital support. The Welsh Government continued to support our work with an annual grant of almost £120,000 which has enabled us to provide support to thousands of those affected by eating disorders in Wales through our vital Helpline services and some of our specialist programmes, such as Nexus, Momentum and Anchor.
We’ve been working with politicians in the Senedd to drive change. We co-convened the Senedd’s Cross Party Group on Mental Health and Eating Disorders, where we’ve been able to feature our No Place Like Home report, and examine the experiences of mental health inpatient care in Wales including those of eating disorder patients. As we look towards next year’s Senedd election we’ve called for all political parties to take urgent action through our The Time is NAWR for Action on Eating Disorders campaign, outlining our key priorities for the next Welsh Government.
We continued to make an impact in Scotland
The Scottish Government awarded us a grant of more than £600,000, which allowed all of our services to be available in Scotland meaning thousands more people affected by eating disorders can get the support they need.
Our annual Eating Disorders Awareness Week was marked by a special debate in the Scottish Parliament, led by Emma Harper MSP, where MSPs spoke about the continued importance of awareness raising.
“I again thank Beat for all that it does. I recommend Beat’s website and Helpline as a trustworthy, reliable and judgment-free source of support to anyone who is concerned about themselves or about a friend, colleague or loved one.” – Claire Haughey MSP
Gaining ground in Northern Ireland
After engaging with key stakeholders, including the Health Minister, we were invited to be part of the new Managed Care Network for Eating Disorders.
The Network aims to bring clinicians, policymakers, people with lived experience and the voluntary and community sector together, helping to shape policy and improve key areas including service access, medical education and collaboration with other mental health services.
We also saw positive engagement with politicians during Eating Disorders Awareness Week, resulting in 10 Assembly Questions, one Member’s Statement and four meetings with MLAs. This resulted in renewed momentum for the formation of an All-Party Group on eating disorders, and an invitation to run an awareness event at Stormont in October 2025.
We're stronger together
We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved this year, and we couldn’t have done it without you – our brilliant volunteers, experts by experience, donors, funders and fundraisers.
Whether you donated your time, or cycled, ran, walked, baked and crafted your way to raising almost £1,200,000, we’re in awe of your generosity, creativity and dedication to making the world a better place for people with eating disorders.
And despite the economic challenges of the last few years, you still donated almost £2,200,000. We couldn’t be more grateful to all of you.
We’d also like to thank the organisations whose grants and donations played a vital role in helping us help as many people as we can, such as the National Lottery Community Fund, the Garfield Weston Foundation, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Community Fund.
Your contributions haven’t just funded vital programmes, services and campaigns, they’ve demonstrated your commitment to creating positive change for the eating disorder community.
We’re incredibly grateful for your generosity.
Together, we expanded our reach, increased understanding of eating disorders, held governments and health services to account — and helped those who needed it the most.
Thank you to our amazing fundraisers
Among our amazing fundraisers was Amber Skinner, who decided to raise money for Beat after becoming very unwell with an eating disorder during the pandemic.
She said: “Ever so slowly, my obsession with exercise and eating became an unhealthy hyper-fixation, my parents slowly started to see my ‘glow’ disappear. My low mood and anxiety grew, leading me to distance myself from friends and family.”
Things started to change for Amber when her mum called our Helpline and was advised to book her a GP appointment. This kickstarted Amber’s recovery, eventually leading to in-patient care. Now recovered, Amber is studying to be an occupational therapist and has raised over £1,000 for us by completing the Southampton half-marathon.
“Running and fundraising for Beat felt right for me; it feels pretty full-circle. To see how I have grown over the past 5 years is something special for my family and I. Without that initial phone call my mum made to Beat in 2020, who knows where I would be today.”
Stories like Amber’s are perhaps the best way of demonstrating our impact: we’re so glad we were there to support her and incredibly moved by her decision to fundraise for us now that she’s recovered, helping us make sure we’re always there for people when they need it most.
You can find out more ways to support us by visiting our website.
Looking ahead to the future with our new CEO
Thank you for your interest in our work: in our impact so far, our mission today, and our plans for tomorrow.
I joined Beat in June 2025, and I couldn’t be prouder of what our team has achieved already. But I’m also more determined than ever to go further, faster. Because too many lives are still being devastated by eating disorders: both for those living with an eating disorder, and those who support them.
Eating disorders aren’t inevitable. They’re preventable, and with the right help, people recover. That belief drives everything we do, and it’s why we won’t stop until fewer people develop an eating disorder, and everyone affected gets the care and support they deserve. The road to a world without eating disorders is clear. We need to:
- Invest in early intervention, so help is available as soon as it’s needed.
- Ensure information and support is fair and accessible, no matter who you are or where you live.
- Equip families and carers with the tools to support both recovery and their own wellbeing.
- Ensure schools, hospitals and other services have the knowledge to respond quickly and effectively.
- Champion and prioritise high-quality research that drives better treatment and prevention.
But we can’t achieve this vision on our own. People with eating disorders can’t wait, and neither can we. That’s why we’re looking to work with others who share our ambition, especially partners across the charity sector. Together, we can bring the change our community urgently needs.
If you’d like to explore how we can work together, we’d love to hear from you.
Vanessa Longley - Chief Executive