TherapyAid’s mission is to answer the question “Who cares for the carers?” recognising that a carers self-care is crucial to the healthcare of those they care for. Therapy Aid works to recognise the value of this Hidden Health Service in supporting our National Health Service, providing complementary therapies to help carers address issues such as pain, mental health and isolation enabling them to support their loved ones more easily.
With therapists all over Norfolk - accessible to all - that is our vision and we are getting there.
We know just how much difference they can make to someone - help us to make this happen.
Who is a carer ?
A carer is anyone, including children and adults who looks after a family member, partner or friend who needs help because of their illness, frailty, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction and cannot cope without their support. The care they give is unpaid.
There are 100,000 unpaid carers in Norfolk
There are around seven million carers in the UK – that is one in ten people. This is rising. Three in five people will be carers at some point in their lives in the UK. Out of the UK's carers, 42% of carers are men and 58% are women.
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In February 2019 Jackie asked Dawn Dean and Kerrie Wittred, what they thought of the idea of starting our own charity - Great idea! they thought - OK! let’s do it...... with no idea about fund raising or anything outside of our educational and therapy world....
The TherapyAid Committee was formalised in April 2019 by me, Jackie, and a number of my tutors and graduates and we will be seeking charity status. In the meantime we are a CIC - which is a Community Interest Company which exists primarily to benefit a community or with a view to pursuing a social purpose, rather than to make a profit for shareholders
Sir Norman Lamb has agreed to be our Patron! How amazing is that. Sir Norman was a North Norfolk MP, but forget politics, he is an impassioned man who cares deeply about the disadvantaged, particularly in mental ill health and has a wide reputation for visiting care groups and other groups to encourage and help make a difference.
Also Janey Lee Grace is also our Patron, Janey is an English singer (backing singer for George Michael among others) , author of several books on well being and healthy lifestyle Imperfectly Natural Woman was a number One Amazon best seller, television presenter and radio presenter
Some of our amazing therapists - all self employed - and we raise funds and apply for funding to pay them for the outstanding work they do.
More detail below.....
After listening to two inspiring speakers in November 2018 - Dr Michael Dixon and Sir Sam Everington speaking about integrated healthcare, I wanted to do something. While we (therapists) are waiting to be properly integrated into the NHS, perhaps we could get funding and start giving treatments to those that needed it...now
In the New Year of 2019 I asked Dawn Dean and Kerrie Wittred, (two of my tutors) what they thought of the idea of starting our own charity - Great idea! they thought - OK! let’s do it...... with no idea about fund raising or anything outside of our educational and therapy world....
We had to get a mission and a name. Neither came overnight. We met, we talked and thought. We wanted to target those that really needed our expertise - but how? and then one morning I woke up and it was there - of course! unpaid carers - it was obvious when we thought about it. It was now April 2019
What group do we know who are up against it - who give and give without a thought for themselves and who cross all barriers - social, economic and there is no one illness, disorder or problem that is common to them - they range from children caring for parents to mothers caring for children or older parents (often at the same time), to the less abled looking after another less abled person - they are everywhere and everyman. They could be you or me. They are unpaid carers.
So our vision became to give carers free massage, reflexology and other beneficial treatments through a network of therapists throughout Norfolk. TherapyAid. We want to raise funds in order to pay those therapists for the life changing work they will be doing. Making life worth living.
With graduates throughout Norfolk (and beyond of course!), we have the golden opportunity to link the two together. A carer living in Mid, North or South Norfolk, or Norwich can be put in touch with a therapist living in their own area - so that they can either visit their nearby clinic - or have a home visit. Imagine the difference that would make!
To ease the pain and anxiety, stop the constant chatter going on in their head.
But it doesn’t need to end there - we can also educate the carer with self-care tips - show them how to use reflexology on themselves and their cared for, how to do hand massage - what better way to use our skills.
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To get involved email [email protected]
Trustees: Jackie Hamilton, Dawn Dean, Kerrie Wittred, Paul Greenhalgh, Annette James, Janet Davies
please see our website for more details: www.therapyaid.co.uk
