Somerset and Wessex Eating Disorders Association
"serving those affected by eating disorders"

Frontline

Services

Telephone Helpline, Letter, Email
&
Messenger Support

Frontline Services

Having an eating disorder or supporting someone who has can be a painful and distressing experience. Somerset and Wessex Eating Disorders Association (SWEDA) offers a wide range of services to ‘those affected by eating disorders’ in Somerset and the surrounding counties.

Getting in touch can be difficult, so SWEDA provides a number of contact points - ‘Frontline Services’ - which you can use to find out more about our organisation and its services, or as support services in their own right. Hopefully you’ll be able to find one that feels comfortable.

This leaflet aims to provide information about our frontline services, the Telephone Helpline, Letter and email support and our new MSN Messenger support. You can also find out about these and our other services on our website at

Telephone Helpline

The SWEDA Telephone Helpline aims to offer sufferers of an eating disorder and their carers a chance to.

• be listened to;
• share some of their concerns;
• obtain up to date information;
• find out about the services offered by SWEDA.

Help by Letter & Email

If, for any reason, you feel unable to use the helpline but would still like to get in touch or if you would just prefer to write then SWEDA's Help By Letter service could be for you.

The Help by Letter scheme offers a similar service to that provided by our Helpline but allows people to write rather than use the phone (although you can of course do both if you wish). Many of the same volunteers that operate our Helpline are also involved in the Help By Letter service. Just write to us and a SWEDA volunteer will respond to your letter directly and as quickly as possible.

This service is open to all but if you live outside of Somerset we would ask that you provide a stamped, self-addressed envelope to help cover our costs. Please send you letters to the SWEDA offices, the address is on the back of this leaflet.

This service is also available through email but please be aware of the security and privacy implications and limitations of email correspondence. If you would like to use Help By Letter using email then please send your emails to:-

MSN Messenger contact

The popularity of the internet has grown hugely over recent years and it has become a popular method of communication in a variety of forms and many organisations are now offering information and support online. Providing support via email is one way SWEDA has tapped into the popularity of the internet but we also offer a new Windows Live Messenger based service to provide an information and support service, similar to the helpline, online.

Messenger is a real-time, text based chat service (provided by Microsoft) in which people can communicate by typing messages to each other. In order to use this service you will need to have Microsoft Windows Live Messenger installed and add:-

to your list of contacts.

You can contact SWEDA for information about eating disorders and the range of services offered (including: one-to-one support, self-help support and the telephone helpline) at :-

Strode House
10 Leigh Road
STREET
Somerset
BA16 0HA

Admin./Fax 01458 448611
email: admin@swedauk.org

www.swedauk.org

SWEDA’s telephone helpline, which is staffed by trained volunteers, many of whom have a personal experience of an eating disorder, can be reached on:-

01458 448600
an answerphone is available when the helpline is closed.


support@swedauk.org
Email support and MSN Messenger contact ID

SWEDA is a registered charity (No.1056441)
and a company limited by guarantee (No.3208772)