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Annual Report

our vision is that peopleaffected by eatingdisorders will have theirneeds met through theprovision of appropriateintegrated, qualityservice being deliveredby a range of statutory,private and voluntaryagencies

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Chairman's & CEO's Report .......................................................................................................................... 2

Overview of Services ...................................................................................................................................... 4

Helpline ................................................................................................................................................................ 5

Support Groups ................................................................................................................................................ 7

Online Groups .................................................................................................................................................... 9

Email Support.................................................................................................................................................. 10

PiLaR Programme .......................................................................................................................................... 12

Communications ............................................................................................................................................ 13

Youth Development ...................................................................................................................................... 15

Other Activities .............................................................................................................................................. 17

Partnership Projects......................................................................................................................................20

Statement of Financial Activities............................................................................................................ 21

Balance Sheet.................................................................................................................................................. 22

Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................................... 23

Company Information .................................................................................................................................. 24

Page No.

Contents

Annual Report 2015 1

Welcome to our Annual Report 2015

As Chairman of the Board ofDirectors, I am pleased to welcomeyou to Think Bodywhys Ltd. Annualreport for 2015. It has been a busyyear for Bodywhys as we continue tosupport people in Ireland who areaffected by eating disorders.

Bodywhys was established in 1995and since its foundation has made asignificant contribution to supportingpeople affected by eating disorders,including friends and family. Fromthose early beginnings, Bodywhys isnow firmly established as a well-respected national supportorganisation. Our work and reputationwas duly recognised on 2nd July whena delegation from Bodywhys wasreceived by An tUachtarán, Michael D.Higgins. This event acknowledged 20years of work by Bodywhys in thearea of eating disorders. PresidentHiggins was generous in his praiseand the event was a fitting tribute tothe work of the organisation and thecommitment of all involved – ourfounder members; supporters;volunteers; board and staff.

I would like to acknowledge thevalued ongoing support of the HealthService Executive and the fundingthat was provided in 2015. Bodywhysservices are funded through anational Service Level Agreement(SLA) with the HSE which supportsour helpline, online services, supportgroups, communications, youthdevelopment and much more.

In 2015, Bodywhys continued toexpand its reach to those affected byeating disorders. Email supportservices have seen a large increase inactivity, but so too have the supportgroups, the helpline and the onlinegroups, resulting in an overallincrease of 10% using Bodywhysservices.

Project specific funding was receivedfrom the National Office for SuicidePrevention (NOSP) to deliver thePiLaR (Peer Led Resilience)programme to parents and carers. In2015, Bodywhys delivered support tofamilies in Carlow/Kilkenny andCavan. The positive feedback fromparticipants indicate that the contentof the course, as well as peer supportexperience, are valuable outcomes ofthis programme.

Chairman’s & CEO’s Report

Chairman’s Introduction2

BredaNaddy

Chairman


During the year, the Board ofDirectors has continued itscommitment to ensuring goodgovernance in every aspect of theorganisation, as a priority strategicdevelopment. The newly establishedCharity Regulatory Authority (CRA)has developed a new set of standardsfor all charities registered in Ireland.Bodywhys is committed to workingwith the regulator and maintaining fullcompliance and the highest standardof good governance in 2016.

The work of Bodywhys during 2015was supported by a committed teamworking under the direction of the CEO.

Finally, my sincere and heartfeltthanks to my fellow Directors ofBodywhys, our highly-committed anddiligent team of staff and volunteers;our funders within the HSE and themany people who undertakefundraising on our behalf. Yourinterest in and support of our work ismuch appreciated.

Breda Naddy, Chairman

Jacinta HastingsChief Executive Officer

Harriet ParsonsServicesManager

Fiona FlynnYouth Development Officer

Mary CreanAdministrator

Helen McSherryAdministrator (maternity leave coverfrom August)

Barry MurphyCommunications Officer

Chairman’s & CEO’s Report

Jacinta Hastings, CEO

Welcome

Overview of Services

Overview of Services4

Harriet Parsons

Figure 1: Breakdown of how peoplecontacted Bodywhys

Admin Email: 8%

Admin Line 1%

Helpline 30%

Support Email 31%

Support Groups 11%

Online Groups 19%

30%

31%

11%

8%1%

19%

-

It is never easy to ask for help, or to tryto be heard. An eating disorder thriveson fear, fear of the unknown, and fearof change. Letting an eating disordergo, and embarking on the difficult pathto recovery, requires patience,security, and a place to speak and beheard. Often, ongoing support isneeded whilst going through recovery.Bodywhys strives to offer supportservices and a space for this to happen.

All Bodywhys support services arebased on the support ethos under-pinning all of our support services -we do not focus on food or weight, orthe specific behaviours that a personis experiencing. We listen and try tounderstand how a person is feeling.

Bodywhys recognises that everyone’sexperience and eating disorder isunique, and we provide a safe space forpeople to begin to put words on what ishappening to them.

I would like to take this opportunityto thank all of the volunteers acrossBodywhys services who have sogenerously given their time and energyto supporting those affected by eatingdisorders in Ireland. Volunteers remainthe backbone of our organisation.

In 2015, there was a 10% increase inpeople using Bodywhys supportservices. The email support service,showed the most significant increasein usage, with a 48% rise in 2015.In addition, attendance at face-to-facesupport groups increased by 19%.In 2013 and 2014, where the age ofthe person with an eating disordercontacting our helpline was known,the majority of people were aged25-35 years. In 2015, there has beena 9% increase in people aged 36-55and an 8% increase in people agedover 56 years old. This means thatthe majority of calls taken in 2015concerned someone aged over 36years old. This trend also emerged onour email support service, with a 20%increase in contacts from people agedover 36 years old. This is yet moreevidence to challenge the myth that aneating disorder is a ‘teenage issue’.

Based on Figure 1, the traditionalhelpline remained a preferred way ofcontacting Bodywhys, however, witha more general trend towards peopleusing technology for help seeking, theemail support service accounted forthe majority of contacts. Looking atthe divide between technologyfacilitated contacts, and ‘in person’contacts, 58% of people contactedBodywhys using an online service.

Helpline – 1890 200 444

The Bodywhys helpline is a 'listeningear' service and all volunteers aretrained to deliver a safe, non-judgemental, non-directive, listening,support and information service topeople affected by eating disorders.During 2015, the helpline operated for2 hours per day, 6 days per week. 69%of callers made contact for the firsttime and 31% were repeat callers.

Continuing the trend from previousyears, Figure 2 shows an even dividebetween calls from people with eatingdisorders (PWED) and those fromfamily and friends (FF).

The helpline is much more than aninformation service. It is also alistening ear service and a safe spacewhere a person can speak about theirexperiences without a fear ofjudgement or pressure to act. Thesetypes of calls were categorised as‘listening ear’ contacts. From Figure 3,the majority of calls in 2015 fell intothis category. 54% of callers justwanted to talk something through andexplore their options. 17% of callerswere in crisis, whilst 29% were seekinginformation.

As noted in Figure 4, eating disordersare not just a female issue, andcontinuing the general trend fromprevious years, the breakdown ingender of people with an eatingdisorder reflected the male tofemale ratio of 1:10.

Helpline – 1890 200 444

Annual Report 2015 5Helpline

Listening Ear: 54%

Information: 29%

Crisis: 17%

Figure 3:Why did people call?

54%

29%17%

Figure 2:Who contacted the helpline?

Helpline Contact PWED: 47%

Helpline Contact Family/Friend: 47%

Helpline Contact Other: 6%

47%

47%

6%

Figure 4: Gender of personwith aneating disorder

Gender of PWED (Male): 9%

Gender of PWED (Female): 91%

91%

9%

In the past two years the majority ofcallers concerned a person with aneating disorder aged 25-35 years.This highlighted very clearly that aneating disorder is not unique toteenagers. From Figure 5, in 2015,there was a 9% increase in peopleaged 36-55 years and an 8% increasein those aged over 56 years old. Thesestatistics show that an eating disordercan affect people of every age.

Bodywhys does not diagnose anyonewho accesses its support services andindividuals do not need a diagnosis inorder to engage with the organisation.Figure 6 reflects the type of eatingdisorder a person was experiencing,where disclosed.

Based on Figure 7, and continuingwhat occurred in 2014, the majorityof callers (where the duration ofthe eating disorder was known) hadexperienced an eating disorder forover 10 years.

Callers do not always discuss whetherthey are in treatment when theycontact Bodywhys. Where known,51% were not in any form oftreatment, 10% of callers had beento a GP, 11% were attending apsychotherapist/ counsellor privately,and 26% were under the care of apsychiatrist and/or attending ahospital for treatment, or publicmental health services(see Figure 8).

Helpline (continued)

Helpline6

2014 2015

Under 10 yrs 3% 2%

10-14 yrs 15% 11%

15-18 yrs 22% 23%

19-24 yrs 16% 14%

25-35 yrs 27% 16%

36-55 yrs 13% 22%

56+ yrs 4% 12%

0-6months: 6%

7-12months: 14%

1-2 years: 14%

2-5 years: 13%

5-10 years: 7%

10+ years: 46%

Figure6:What typeof eatingdisorder?58%

<10 15-18 19-24 25-35 36-55 +5610-14

0-6m 7-12m 1-2yrs 2-5yrs 5-10yrs 10+yrs

3%

23% 16%

Anorexia: 58%

Bulimia: 16%

Binge Eating Disorder (BED): 23%

EDNOS/OSFED: 3%

Figure7:How longhas thepersonhadaneatingdisorder?

10%26%

2% 11%

51%Figure 8: Type of current treatment?

None: 51%

GPonly: 10%

Psychotherapy: 11%

GP +Psychotherapy: 2%

Psychiatrist/hospital: 26%

Figure5:Whatage is thepersonwith theeatingdisorder?

Figure 9 highlights the breakdown ofwhere people attended our supportgroups, with the majority being inDublin.

In recognition of the situation thatwhen a person has an eating disorder,not only the person themselves, butthose around the person are alsoaffected, Bodywhys has alwaysprovided support to family andfriends. The organisation has providedtwo types of support groups, one forpeople with an eating disorder (PWED)and one for family and friends (FF). In2015, (see Figure 10) 69% of peoplewho attended groups were thoseaffected by an eating disorder, and31% were family and friends. Overall,there was a 19% increase inattendance compared to 2014.

Regarding the gender breakdown ofthose using the support groups, in2015 there was a slight increase of 3%in males attending (seeFigure11.1).

Examining this further, the genderbreakdown for each type of supportgroup, in Figure 11.2 (a) that 6% ofpeople attending our PWED supportgroups were male, and 94% werefemale. For those attending our FFgroup, in Figure 11.2 (b) 37% weremale, and 63% were female.

Support Groups


PWEDAttendees FFAttendees

Male Female

Figure 9: Breakdown of attendance

Dublin Central: 85%

DublinTCD: 5%

Carlow: 4%

Sligo: 6%

85%

5%4%

6%

Figure 10:Who attended groups?

Support Groups

2014 2015

Overall PWEDAttendees: 76% 69%

Overall FF Attendees: 24% 31%

11.1 Overall Gender Breakdown2014 2015

Male: 12% 15%

Female: 88% 85%

Male PWED Female PWED

11.2 (a) Eating Disorder Group2014 2015

Male PWED: 2% 6%

Female PWED: 98% 94%

Male FF Female FF

11.2 (b) Family& Friends Group2014 2015

Male FF: 44% 37%

Female FF: 56% 63%

Figure 12 indicates that 46% ofpeople attending our support groupswere there for the first time, and 54%were returning or regular attendees.Again, this highlights how, for somepeople, attending the support groupwas a source of ongoing support.

Individuals accessing Bodywhyssupport groups do not require a formaldiagnosis to attend. Where known,Figure 13 highlights the breakdownaccording to eating disorder type.This is important to show becauseoften a person fears attending asupport group because they feel theydo not ‘fit in’ to a specific weightcategory, and following the group,people often express relief at havingcome and been accepted by the group.

Bodywhys face-to-face supportgroups are for people over 18 years ofage. Volunteer facilitators do not askpeople’s ages in the group, but rathernote whether a person is over orunder 25 years old. Continuing thetrend observed through the helpline,Figure 14 illustrates that the majorityof people attending support groupswere over 25 years old.

Support Groups (continued)

8

Figure 12: First time or return?

46%

54%

FirstTime: 46%

Return: 54%

Support Groups

23%

10%41%

26%

Figure 13:What type of eatingdisorder?

Anorexia: 26%

Bulimia: 23%

BED: 10%

Other: 41%

Over 25 Under 25

Figure14:Whatageare thoseattendingthesupportgroups? 2014 2015

Over 25: 64% 53%

Under 25: 36% 47%

Figure 15a: First time or return?

23%11%

3%2%

17%

44%

Online Support Groups

Bodywhys runs separate onlinesupport groups for adults and forteenagers aged 13-18. Both groupsoperate once a week, for 90 minutesper meeting. In 2015, Bodywhys onlinevolunteer facilitators provided 104support groups throughout the year.

Figure 15a illustrates the breakdownof those attending for the first time,and those who returned to the onlinegroups. Compared to 2014, there wasa 5% increase in repeat users in theadult group and 4% increase in firsttime users in the group for teenagers.

Based on Figures 15b and 15c, themajority of those who attended theadult group were aged 18-25 yearsold, whilst individuals who identifiedas having anorexia accessed the groupmost often. Based on Figure 15d, themajority of participants who accessedthe group for teenagers were aged16-18.

Online Groups


FirstTime Return

2014 2015 2014 2015

Adult Adult Teen Teen

First time: 25% 20% 20% 24%

Return: 75% 80% 80% 76%

45%

55%

Figure 15b: BodywhysConnectattendance by age

Age 18-25: 55%

Age 25+: 45%

Figure 15d: YouthConnectattendance by age

Age 13-15: 23%

Age 16-18: 77%

Figure 15c: BodywhysConnectattendance by Eating DisorderType

Anorexia: 44%

Anorexia/Bulimia: 23%

Bulimia: 17%

Binge ED: 11%

Overeating: 2%

EDNOS/OSFED: 3%

77%

23%

Online Groups

Email Support

Email Support10

Email Support Service

In reviewing statistics from the emailservice, it was evident that a higherpercentage of people affected by aneating disorder contacted Bodywhysby email compared to by phone. FromFigure 16, in 2015 approximately81% of email contacts wrote abouttheir eating disorder experiences andsought personal support.

Again, the email service was notmerely a source of information. In fact,the majority of people who emailedwere not seeking specific information,but were looking to open up, to seekrelief from the turmoil in their minds,and to connect with someone whomight understand them. Figure 17shows that 58% of emails receivedwere of this nature.

The gender breakdown for the emailservice was 8% male and 92% female,see Figure 18.

Self F/F Other Unknown

Figure 16:Who contacted theemail service? 2014 2015

Self 75% 81%

Family / Friend 23% 16%

Other 2% 3%

Unknown 1% 1%

Listening Ear Information Crisis

Figure 17:Why did people emailBodywhys? 2014 2015

Listening Ear 53% 58%

Information 30% 28%

Crisis 17% 14%

Male Female

Figure 18: Gender of personwith aneating disorder 2014 2015

Male 3% 8%

Female 97% 92%

In 2015, Figure 19 shows that 29%email contacts were aged 15-18 yearsand 25% were aged 36-55 years.This was interesting and manytheories could be put forward forwhy these two age categories weredominant. From a Bodywhysperspective, the organisation remainshopeful that people of all ages canaccess the email service for support.

Where known, Figure 20 shows thetype of eating disorder experiencedby those who emailed.

Again, echoing a pattern from thehelpline, Figure 21 illustrates that themajority of people who emailed in2015 had experienced an eatingdisorder for over 10 years.

From Figure 22, where known, 49% ofemail contacts were not in any form oftreatment, 5% had been to a GP,19% were attending a psychotherapist/counsellor privately, and 25% wereunder the care of a psychiatrist and/orattending a hospital for treatment,or public mental health services.

Email Support (continued)


Anorexia Bullimia BED E/O Unknown

Figure 20:What type of eatingdisorder?

2014 2015

Anorexia 49% 60%

Bulimia 11% 10%

BED 10% 11%

EDNOS/OSFED 9% 4%

Unknown 21% 15%

Figure22:Typeof treatment?

2014 2015

None 61% 49%

Unknown 5% 5%

GPonly 5% 5%

Psychotherapy 11% 19%

GP +Psychotherapy 2% 1%

Psychiatrist/Hospital 20% 25%

Dietician 1% 1%

<10 15-18 19-24 25-35 36-55 +5610-14

Figure19:What age is thepersonwith the eatingdisorder?

2014 2015

Age PWEDunder 10 2% 3%

AgePWED10-14 13% 7%

AgePWED15-18 28% 29%

AgePWED19-24 24% 17%

AgePWED25-35 25% 16%

AgePWED36-55 6% 25%

AgePWED56+ 2% 3%

None GP P GP+ P/H DUn

7-12m 1-2y 2-5y 5-10y 10+y0-6m

Figure21:How longhas thepersonhad an eating disorder?

2014 2015

0-6months 5% 8%

7-12months 9% 11%

1-2 years 11% 18%

2-5 years 31% 13%

5-10 years 6% 6%

10+ years 38% 44%

“Found the 4 weeks veryinformative and feel muchstronger with dealing with theillness”

“It was a real eye opener, loadsof tips, pointers and personalstories shared that helped usface this”

“It has beenmore help than Icould have dreamed of… I feltmore empowered and hopefuleach time I left.”

“It has been useful to listen toother parents’ experiences”

“I felt I was in a safe environment,to speak or ask a question”

PiLaR Programme

In 2015, Bodywhys delivered supportto families in Carlow/Kilkenny andCavan. Taking place one evening perweek for 4 weeks, and based on theidea of ‘Peer-Led Resilience’, thePiLaR programme addresses thefundamentals of understanding eatingdisorders, as well as providingstructured help and support on thespecific obstacles, difficulties andchallenges of supporting a personwith an eating disorder through therecovery process. There wasconsistent positive feedback fromfamilies who participated in theprogramme, not only with regard tocontent and practical advice, but alsoin relation to the peer support thatfamilies both gave and receivedduring the programme.

Topics addressed ranged from: how tounderstand what an eating disorder isand why a person just can’t stop,coping with meal times, managinganger, coping with everyday triggers,supporting siblings and othermembers of the family, understandingthe distorted thinking in an eatingdisorder, coping with specialoccasions such as Christmas, Easter,birthdays, and how to understand therecovery process.

Bodywhys is grateful to the NationalOffice for Suicide Prevention (NOSP)for its support of the programme.

Benefits of the programme, asidentified by families:

Programme feedback:

PiLaR Programme

PiLaR12

“Getting hope and learning to livein the stage we are at”

“Themessage that as a parentyou can help your child throughthis to recovery”

“Learning to face up to and talkabout the illness”

“Being able to understand thatthe eating disorder is not self-inflicted”

“Reflecting on the turmoil andlevel of anxiety of daughter”

“Meeting other people andlistening to their stories, knowingwe are not alone”

“Understanding that the eatingdisorder voice takes over”

BodwyhysPiLaRPoster forKilkenny

MEDIA ACTIVITIES

2015 saw a 25% increase in requestsand contacts from journalists and themainstream media. February and Junewere the busiest periods of the year,with radio and print being the mostcommon form of requests.

The nature of the requests includedtopics such as: January diets, eatingdisorders in Ireland, the impact ofmental health difficulties on families,muscle dysmorphia, social media andselfies, body image and children,Eating Disorders Awareness Week,support services statistics fromBodywhys, men, orthorexia, bingeeating disorder, the impact of harmfulonline content, legislation in France,diet pills, body shaming, andmanaging eating disorders during theChristmas period.

A number of journalists requestedinput from individuals with personalexperience of an eating disorder.Bodywhys remains grateful to themembers of the organisation’s MediaPanel for their willingness to engagewith the media.

PrintMedia Coverage

Media reporting of eating disordersand related issues continued steadilythroughout 2015. In January, therewas discussion of controlling food, apill for binge eating and post-Christmas diets. Anorexia, bulimia,selfies, alcohol and eating disorders,and men arose during February. A banon hiring underweight models, bodyconfidence, the launch of a newservice in the North West region, anelectrode treatment for anorexia,body image and self-esteem werehighlighted in March. In April, BettieMarie Burger-Smit undertook An TrekFada II, a walk from Wexford toKillarney, to raise funds for Bodywhys.This was covered in Wexford’s localnewspapers.Concerns about diets, disorderedeating, understanding eating disorders

amongst 25-35 year olds, the use oflaxatives, beach bodies,perfectionism, online bullying, agenetic component in binge eating,and buying tablets online, were topicsof interest during the Summer. Eatingdisorders and men, orthorexia, eatingdisorders in children and adolescents,volunteering, muscle dysmorphia anddebate about thin models receivedcoverage in the Autumn. Finally,November and December’s coveragefocused on stress related to bodyideals, the perfect body, healthy foodsand ‘clean’ eating, orthorexia, and thepressure of perfection and selfies.

PrintMedia Statistics

Bodywhys uses key words to identifyeating disorder related articles in theprint media. In 2015, general eatingdisorders (GED) and anorexiagenerated the largest amount ofcoverage. GED is where the issue isreported in a general way rather thanfocusing on a specific diagnosis.

BarryMurphy

Media Queries for 2015

Radio: 64

Television: 14

Print: 48

Online: 6

64

648

14

Articles by Eating Disorder

Anorexia: 38%

Bulimia: 8.6%

Binge Eating Disorder: 4%

General Eating Disorders: 48%

OED (orthorexia/other categories): 1.4%

48

1.4

3881.6

4


Communications

The Irish DailyMail,BelfastTelegraphand Irish DailyMirror generated mostof the eating disorders related articlesthroughout the year. Regionalpublications such as theArgus,BrayPeople,Corkman and EnniscorthyGuardian also provided somecoverage. Bodywhys was mentioned in128 articles during 2015, bringing apotential readership of approximately5.59 million (distributed edition).Bodywhys was most frequentlyreferenced in the Irish Sun, Irish DailyMail, Irish Examiner andSundayIndependent. The references rangedfrom a mention of the Bodywhyswebsite or helpline, to an interviewwith a staff member, or in relation tothose with previous experience of aneating disorder.

Eating Disorders AwarenessWeek2015Media Coverage

The media coverage of EDAW 2015was driven by a press release thatfocused on increased demands foreating disorder supports throughthe Bodywhys helpline and onlinesupport group for 13-18 year olds,YouthConnect.

Bodywhys received media requestsfrom:RTÉ television and radio, theIrish DailyMail, Irish Examiner, IrishIndependent, TheHerald, IrishMirror,Community Radio Castlebar, Clare FM,C103Cork, Dublin’s 98 FM, Dublin CityFM, Dublin South FM, Kildare FM,KCLR FM , Highland Radio, NewstalkFM, Northern Sound, Phoenix FM,TippFM, Spin SouthWest,Wired FM,WLRFM and96FM.

ONLINE

Bodywhys eBulletin

6 issues of the Bodywhys eBulletinwere sent during 2015. Subscribernumbers increased by approximately4.3% compared to the previous year.The design of eBulletin was alsoupdated. An archive of eBulletins canbe found the Bodywhys website:www.bodywhys.ie

BodywhysWebsite

The Bodywhys websitewww.bodywhys.ie continued as avital resource with traffic steadythroughout 2015. 71% of all visitorsaccessed the site from Ireland, whilstapproximately 44% logged on usingtablet and mobile devices. February,March and November were the monthswith the highest level of activity onthe website. Overall, 64,525 uniquevisitors logged on to the websiteduring 2015. An increase of 4.5%compared to figures from 2014.In 2015, the most read sections ofthe website included: binge eatingdisorder, stats and facts, anorexia,treatment options and personalstories.

SocialMedia

Popular posts on social mediaincluded: World Mental Health Day,an information event in Sligo,photographs from Bodywhys’s visit toÁras an Uachtaráin and An Trek Fada II.In addition to posting about its ownwork and activities, Bodywhyssupported the Green Ribboncampaign, the Health ServiceExecutive’s (HSE) #littlethingscampaign and Mental HealthReform’s activities.

Social networking sites were a sourceof positive feedback about Bodywhys.

ThankYou Fiona from@bodywhyswho's talking to our students todayregarding Body Image&EatingDisorders #EDAW2015

Great interviewHarriett Parsons (sic)@bodywhys@NewstalkFMonsuchana significant topic,especially difficultfor people around xmas/newyear.

Communications (continued)

Communications14

Youth Development


bodybe

positive

EDUCATION

Primary Schools

Throughout 2015, Bodywhysdeveloped a positive body image andself-esteem programme for primaryschools. Materials for the programmewere completed in October anddistributed to mixed and single sexschools during a pilot phase. Initialfeedback from teachers was verypositive. It is expected that thecompleted programme will becomeavailable in 2016.

Secondary Schools

At post-primary level, Bodywhyscontinued to facilitate requests fromschools and youth groups, in particularto talk to students about eatingdisorders and body image through the‘Be Body Positive’ programme. Over6,100 students received thisprogramme in 2015. Bodywhys alsoprovided talks to parents of secondaryschool students in relation to under-standing eating disorders, with anadditional focus on promoting positivebody image amongst young people.

Bodywhys carried out qualitativeresearch with young people fromComhairle na nÓg in relation to bodyimage and self-esteem. This was to aiddevelopment of a new programme forsecondary schools. During the summer,focus groups were conducted with12 young people, male and femaleaged 16-22. They were asked a rangeof questions regarding the type andsource of stress faced by youngpeople in relation to body image andhow to manage it. Social mediaemerged as the primary source ofconcern around body image. The youngpeople described how the number of‘likes’ on profile pictures wasfrequently a source of worry and theyfelt that responses through socialmedia were associated with self-judgement. The focus groups alsodiscussed a preoccupation withupdating photos online and thepotential negative impact onsomeone’s quality of life.

Low body image, along with feelingconsumed by pressures from socialmedia, was discussed as a hindrancefrom enjoying life and other activities.Participants in the focus group werekeen to identify suggestions on copingwith such pressures.

Subsequent focus groups wereconducted with transition yearstudents in groups of 10-15 inCastleknock Community College inDecember 2015. These groups alsocited social media as the main sourceof the pressure they reportedexperiencing. All involved felt that aprogramme incorporating ideas fromyoung people on how to cope withbody image pressure, includingmanaging social media activities,would be very valuable.

Based on this feedback, Bodywhysdeveloped pilot materials and videofootage of young people talking aboutbody image related issues. Thematerials were piloted in a school inDecember 2015 and will be furtherevaluated in 2016 before finalmaterials are developed.

Fiona Flynn

Youth Development

Youth Development (continued)

Youth Development16

Third Level

Bodywhys was represented at variousmental health related events andawareness weeks in collegesnationwide during 2015. Talks abouteating disorders were provided tomedical teams and counsellingservices in universities and colleges.In October, Bodywhys joined a paneldiscussion on body image in TrinityCollege Dublin as part of Body andSoul Week.

Youth Events

In 2015, Bodywhys spoke to a further2,000 young people through talksand workshops at youth eventsnationwide. Examples included: TeenAware in Westmeath, Cycle AgainstSuicide events in Dublin andnationwide and an informationstand at the Young Social Innovators(YSI) showcase in Citywest, Dublin.Over 3,000 young people from acrossIreland attended the YSI event. Asalways, there was significant interestin the Bodywhys stand.

Other work

In December, Bodywhys contributed tothe Mental Health Lab event in UCD.Bodywhys continued to provide inputinto professional development atin-service days and events nationwide– including SPHE training, training foryouth workers in various settingsincluding through Youth Work Ireland.Bodywhys provided training forteachers and guidance counsellors atin-service days on eating disorders,body image and promoting positivebody image in students.

Other Activities


Helen McSherry joined the Bodywhysteam in August, to provide maternityleave cover.

Training&Education

Bodywhys responded to a number oftraining requests from relevant healthprofessionals working in the area ofeating disorders. Our training module‘Understanding Eating Disorders’,provided the professionals with anunderstanding of eating disorders andthe recovery process, with a view toincreasing their knowledge base. Thistraining was delivered to staff inCasadh, Clare Addiction Centre,Glendoher Care House, Limerick CluinMhuire and Pathways Ireland.Information talks were given toLimerick Foster Carers, the MullingarSoroptimist Group, and as part of‘Healthier Dance Week’ in Digges LaneDance Centre.

IT Sligo

In conjunction with the Department ofLife Sciences, IT Sligo, a work placementwas facilitated. Eimear Nulty joinedBodywhys from April-June.

Volunteers&Talks

A new intake of Bodywhys supportservice volunteers were trained inFebruary, whilst additional helplinevolunteers were trained in November.Also in February, Harriet ParsonsServices Manager with Bodywhysgave a public talk: ‘Eating Disordersand Depression: The Link’. This event,in conjunction with Aware, was held inSt Patrick’s Mental Health Services.A video of the talk is available onAware’s Youtube channel. HarrietParsons contributed to audio and videorecordings and lectures for a moduleabout eating disorders in Trinity CollegeDublin’s School of Nursing. Harriet alsogave a lecture on understanding eatingdisorders as part of UCD’s Women’s andMen’s Health Studies.

Annual Awareness Campaign

Eating DisordersAwareness Week(EDAW) ran fromFebruary 23rd –March 1st, 2015.

Throughout awareness week, a varietyof information and awareness eventstook place across the country, including:

• BodywhysPiLaRprogrammeforparents inKilkenny.

• Information stands inCavanGeneralHospital, St. Angela’sCollege, Sligo,ITSligoandSt.Vincent’sHospital,Dublin.

• An information talk formental healthnurses inLouthCountyHospital.

• An informationevent forgeneralpractitioners inLouthCountyHospital.

• DrKieltyOberlin, CounsellingPsychologist, deliveredapublic talk‘Diet orDisorder?’ inWicklow,in conjunctionwithWicklowMentalHealthAssociation.

• TheStyleSociety inDCUhosteda fashion show.

• Bodywhysspoke tostudents fromtheNutritionSociety inDIT.

Mary Crean HelenMcSherry

Harriet Parsons describing eating disordersand depression, February 2015

Other Activities

Other Activities (continued)

18 Other Activities

Bodywhys Literature andInformation StandsThroughout the year, Bodywhyshosted information stands in AthloneIT, Carlow IT, Sligo IT, Waterford IT andTCD. Additional stands were held insupport of college mental health weeks,Fettercairn Health Fair and eventssuch as Let’s Go Mental Youth Event.

In May 2015, Bodywhys published thesecond edition of the organisation’sbinge eating disorder self-helpbooklet. ‘Binge eating: Breaking theCycle: A self-help guide towardsrecovery’. First published in 2006, thefrequently requested bookletdiscusses self-care, the cycle of bingeeating and taking back control andcoping with change.

In December, Bodywhys developed anew leaflet about eating disorders inIreland, adapted and reprinted withkind permission from EatingDisorders Victoria.

Fundraising Activities

In May, Bettie Marie Burger-Smitundertook An Trek Fada II (The LongWalk II) from Wexford to Killarney.Hannah-Lilly Buchanan, a woman withpersonal experience of an eatingdisorder, gave a talk in Mullingar. 10%of the ticket sales went to Bodywhys,Headstrong and Aware. In June, anumber of people participated in theVHI Women’s Mini-marathon, andBodywhys is grateful and would like tothank everyone for their generosityand support.

‘Binge eating: Breaking the Cycle:A self-help guide towards recovery’.

Information leaflet

Celebrating 20Years of Bodywhys

In recognition of the organisation’s20 years of work in the area of eatingdisorders, staff, volunteers andfriends of Bodywhys were invited tomeet President Michael D. Higgins atÁras an Uachtaráin in July.

Other Activities (continued)


Meetingwith PresidentMichael D. Higginsat Áras anUachtaráin

Visit to Áras anUachtaráin

GreenRibbon CampaignBodywhys supports See Change’sGreen Ribbon Campaign, whichpromotes mental health awarenessand positive mental health, duringthe month of May each year.

HSEClinical Programme on EatingDisordersBodywhys welcomes the developmentof a national clinical programme oneating disorders in line with nationalmental health policy,AVision forChange (2006) and participates onthe national working group.

National Office for SuicidePrevention (NOSP)Connecting for Life – Ireland’sNational Strategy to Reduce Suicide2015-2020, was launched during theyear. The CEO represented Bodywhysand contributed to the consultationprocess through the Advisory Group.

Cycle Against SuicideBodywhys had an information standat the Cycle Against Suicide StudentLeaders Congress which was held inthe RDS in January. Over 4,000secondary school students attended.A full day programme included talks,workshops and round tablediscussions.

Co-operation andWorkingTogether(CAWT) ProjectThe CAWT Eating Disorder projectconcluded at the end of April, 2015.

The Project Board had their finalmeeting during the last week ofApril at which they reflected on theproject’s challenges and achievements.One of the main successes of theproject has been the mainstreamingof staff into each of the four CAWTareas after the EU funding phase.

Mental Health Reform (MHR)Parvez Butt, Jane O’ Riordan andJacinta Hastings attended MentalHealth Reform’s briefing on ‘AVisionfor Change: NineYears On: A coalitionanalysis of progress’. Speakers wereShari McDaid, John Saunders, Dr. MikeWatts and Dr. Eddie Molloy.

ReachOut.comThe GoodPracticeGuidelines onOnline MentalHealth ServiceProvision waslaunched on8th June.Bodywhyswas represented onthe working group.

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA):St. John of God pilot projectHarriet Parsons, Fiona Flynn andMarie Devine participated in a2-day pilot evaluation of the MentalHealth First Aid programme whichwill be developed by St. John ofGod Hospital.

Association of Child andAdolescentMental Health (ACAMH)Harriet Parsons attended the ACAMHconference on ‘Transformations inYouth Mental Health’. As well asinsightful presentations, includinga theatre piece, there werepresentations on current researchinto the area.

Console ConferenceMarie Devine represented Bodywhysat the Console World SuicidePrevention Day Conference whichwas held in the Aviva Stadium on10th September 2015.

College of Psychiatrists of IrelandJacinta Hastings attended thePerspective for the Professionals:The Role of the Family in PromotingRecovery event organised by theCollege of Psychiatrists of Ireland.

Information Evening on EatingDisorders, Clarion Hotel, SligoDr. Ed O’Mahoney, Mary Harron andJacinta Hastings presented aninformation event on the eatingdisorder programme, to HSE staffin Sligo/Leitrim as well as theBodywhys support services.

TCDSchool of Nursing PostgraduateDiploma inMental Health NursingHarriet Parsons has been contributingto the development of two modules oneating disorders; and the role of supportgroups; as part of the TCD School ofNursing Postgraduate Diploma inMental Health Nursing. The course willcommence in January, 2016.

Partnership Projects

Partnership Projects20

Statement of Financial Activitiesfor the year ended 31 December 2015


UnrestrictedFunds2015

€Notes

RestrictedFunds2015

€

Total

2015€

Total

2014€

There are no other recognised gains or losses and all activities relate to continuing operations.Approved by the trustees on 7th June 2016 and signed on their behalf by:

Henry Blake Parvez ButtTrustee Trustee

INCOMINGRESOURCES

Generated Funds:

Voluntary Income - - - 13,160

Activities to generate funds

Unrestricted Grants 262,870 - 262,870 256,546

Restricted Grants 22,000 22,488 44,488 27,015

Investment and Other Income 2 2,108 - 2,108 -

Charitable Activities:

Donations and Other Voluntary Income 3,337 - 3,337 -

Total Incoming Resources 290,315 22,488 312,803 301,331

Resources Expended

Costs of Generating Funds 39,630 - 39,630 43,321

Governance Costs 3,936 - 3,936 -

43,566 - 43,566 43,321

Net Incoming Resources

available for charitable application 246,749 22,488 269,237 258,010

Charitable Activities:

Restricted Grant Expenditure - 32,515 32,515 -

Operational Costs 224,511 - 224,511 237,563

224,511 32,515 257,026 237,563

Total Resources Expended 3 268,077 32,515 300,592 280,884

Surplus/(deficit) for the year 22,238 (10,027) 12,211 20,447

Netmovement in funds for the year 22,238 (10,027) 12,211 20,447

Reconciliation of funds

Balances brought forward at 1 January 2015 266,822 32,120 298,942 278,495

Balances carried forward at 31December 2015 289,060 22,093 311,153 298,942

Balance Sheetas at 31 December 2015

Balance Sheet22

Notes 2015

€

2014

€

The financial statements were approved by the trustees on 7th June 2016 and signed on its behalf by:

Henry Blake Parvez ButtTrustee Trustee

CURRENTASSETS

Cash at bank and in hand 326,513 336,169336,169 299,485

Creditors: Amounts fallingduewithin one year 7 (15,360) ( 37,227)

Net Current Assets 311,153 298,942

Total Assets less Current Liabilities 311,153 298,942

FUNDS

Restricted Trust Funds 22,093 32,120Unrestricted Designated Funds 226,730 226,730General Funds (unrestricted) 9 62,330 40,092

TOTAL FUNDS 311,153 298,942

Acknowledgements


The Chairman, Board of Directors andStaff wish to record their sincerethanks to all those who volunteeredor donated to Bodywhys in 2015.Your interest in and support of ourwork is much appreciated.

Bettie-Marie Burger-Smit

Department of Health

Double Dutch Design – Gabie Devaney

Eating Disorders Victoria

ESB Electric Aid

Genio Fund

Health Service Executive

Kielty Oberlin PhD

National Office for Suicide Prevention & Staff

National Lottery

Niamh McNamara PhD

St. John of God Brothers - Management Team & Order

Thank You

Company Information

Company Information24

Company Information as of31st December 2015

Directors

Breda Naddy

Parvez Butt

Henry Blake

Marie Devine

Kirsty Kirkwood

Jane O’Riordan

Secretary

Henry Blake

Registered office

18 Upper Mount Street

Dublin 2

Auditors

Dillon Kelly Cregan & Co

18 Upper Mount Street

Dublin 2

Registered Charity No

11961

Notes


P.O. Box 105, Blackrock, Co. Dublin

T +353 1 283 4963E [email protected]

www.bodywhys.ieLoCall Helpline: 1890 200 444Support Email: [email protected]

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