2023 proved to be another successful, productive year for the charity. The information below highlights our main achievements and the the positive impact we have had on the CES community.
- The national suspected CES pathway launched on 1st March 2023. We are proud to be named in the new pathway for referrals of patients for sexual and psychological support services. Since the launch, we have received numerous direct referrals from clinicians and nurses and seem to be experiencing greater recognition as a charity.
- Our charity has been working with Mike Hutton and NHS 111 to bring the 111 service in line with the new pathway.
- We have grown our newsletter subscription from 1850 to 2200 active subscribers and have grown membership in the online support group from 3950 to 4700 members over the past year.
- Over the past year, we have dealt with just under 1000 organic referrals via the website and charity helpline.
- We have referred and funded 33 CES patients for Psychosexual therapy, CBT and clinical psychology. We have added another therapist to the team – Heva Khalifar and looking to employ another clinical psychologist to ensure wait times are kept to a minimum.
- Paige Hargreaves joined the team as events and partnerships manager.
- We have continued to work with our volunteers to deliver 23 local coffee mornings.
- The book that we published in September 2022 ‘The Lost Tribe’ has now sold 574 copies, raising £1073 for the charity. It was No. 1 in the Amazon Living with Disability rankings.
- We are exploring art therapy with CES patient Wayne Howard Saunders who is creating a website for patients to access to use digital illustration to help them in their recoveries. We have applied for the Paul Kennedy Bursary and have a couple of exhibitions tentatively set up.
- We are working with corporate partners to turn the book into a theatre production for community theatres in Newcastle with an opening night around CES Awareness week 2024. Trustees will receive invites.
- Continuing to deliver Red Flag training and lived experience to student doctors at Oxford John Moores and Aston Universities for the third year running as part of the study modules throughout the year to almost 800 student doctors. Getting patients involved with face-to-face presentations.
- The charity won ‘The Pride of Lancashire’ Award and the ‘Lifetime Achievement’ award in October 2023 which was run by The Lancashire Evening Post