Beating Eating Disorders With 'Team Recovery'

10 January 2013, 05:30 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

Recovered anorexic, Rachel Cowey from South Shields, is aiming to help others recover from their illness with her 'Team Recovery' campaign.

Rachel developed anorexia when she was 16 and was told eight years ago she would die.

She got help and was treated at a clinic but her recovery's taken many years.

She was discharged from the recovery unit 3 and a half years ago and from there has had to work on her self esteem and confidence around food.

Now she says she "wants to turn a negative into a positive" and promote the recovery aspect of eating disorders.

Rachel's not only an ambassador for Beat - a national charity that supports people affected by eating disorders - but also volunteers with NIWE (Northern Initiative on Women and Eating)

The idea behind 'Team Recovery' is to spread the word that recovery is possible -  by offering women support and stay-well groups.

These groups aim to be a safe place for people to talk about their eating disorder and the knowledge that recovery is possible and worth it.

Rachel says: 
"I hope to have more places of support up in the North East because there's not very much up here. It's all very centred down South.

I want there to be high quality treatment services around the country - instead of sufferers having to be treated far from home or told they need to lose more weight before they can be helped.

I like to think I survived for a reason and that is to help others."

There's more information about Rachel's 'Team Recovery' project on their Tumblr page HERE

In order to get the workshops going Rachel needs funding, and she's hoping it'll come in the form of a £10,000 from Glamour Magazine and Avon for their "Hello Tomorrow Fund".

She's been shortlisted in the final six people who could claim the prize.

The Glamour and Avon Hello Tomorrow Fund is awarding £10,000 each to three causes that are voted to be the ones that will make the most difference to the lives of women in the UK.

The judging panel includes Amanda Holden and representatives from Glamour and Avon.

To find out more about the fund and to vote for Rachel, just click HERE