Well done to Brooke Weston, SEN Teaching Assistant, Libby West, who organised a fundraising event for Beat: The UK's Eating Disorder Charity, for the last day of term as part of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week; an annual campaign to educate the public about the realities of eating disorders.

This year, BEAT are focussing on ARFID – Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, a condition that doesn't always get the recognition it deserves.

Around 1.25 million people in the UK suffer from eating disorders, many in secret. They are of all ages, genders, and backgrounds – eating disorders do not discriminate.

Staff and students were invited to take part in a mufti-day and wear an article of purple in return for a donation to BEAT. A market stall was also set up outside the restaurant selling crochet gifts which were handmade by Libby and SEN Teaching Assistant Hilary Payne, to raise extra money for the charity.  

Libby said, ’It’s wonderful that we have done some fundraising for this cause at the Academy as it means BEAT will have more money to put towards research, staff, helplines and many other kinds of support. Thank you so much to everyone who has bought a gift and donated, the awareness being raised and action taking place is amazing.’