Spotlight on: First Steps ED

This week’s Spotlight On features First Steps ED!

At First Steps ED, it’s not just about treating eating disorders—it’s about restoring hope, improving mental wellbeing, and supporting physical health. They save lives by offering a path to recovery and a brighter, healthier future.

First Steps ED is not just a charity— it's a lifeline. They offer compassionate support and expert guidance to help children, adults and their families open up about their struggles and break free from the barriers eating disorders create.

Through psychotherapy, counselling, peer support, and workshops they provide the tools and encouragement needed to take steps towards recovery. First Steps ED is here to build understanding and raise awareness in communities, making it easier for those affected to seek help and feel supported.

In schools and workplaces, they are leading the conversation about eating disorders. By equipping teachers and employers to spot the early signs and offer meaningful support.

As with many mental health services, access to support can be a postcode lottery. First Steps ED provide accessible support to anyone in the UK either free through their commissioned services or through highly subsidised Private Practice. But with more funds, they want to expand their reach and ensure that anyone, anywhere in the UK can receive the free support they need, when they need it.

The money from Derby Community Lottery will help them to provide more befriending, expand free psychotherapy, develop their ARFID pathway and continue to break down the stigma so that everyone affected by an eating disorder can receive vital support when they need it. 

If you would like to support First Steps ED, get your Derby Community Lottery tickets and nominate them as your good cause here!

You can also find more about First Steps ED on their website