Hi, I’m Anna! I’m 30, although I’m still not entirely convinced I feel like an adult yet! 😂 The last year has certainly thrown a lot of very adult things my way, including losing both my mum to cancer and my dad to sepsis in quick succession.

I grew up on a farm, so my childhood was very much getting dirty, planting potatoes, collecting eggs and generally being outside. I’m slightly less interested in the dirt these days! 😂 I’ve also got Willow, my German Shepherd who is still very much in training, and my three cats, Bear, Poppy and Daisy. They started out as family pets but have very much become my little family now. They all have very different personalities and definitely don’t always see eye to eye, so life with them is never boring! 😂

I’ve always loved being creative. I was interested in art, fine art and photography growing up, which eventually led into my love of makeup and beauty. I still love getting crafty and trying my hand at a bit of everything, so I’m definitely a bit of a jack of all trades — master of you know the rest! 😂 I also create beauty, lifestyle and health content on social media, which I really enjoy, particularly being able to show the more realistic side of life rather than everything being perfect all the time.

I’ve also been learning Portuguese on Duolingo for nearly 1,500 days now — and I’m still not fluent! 😂

I’m a driven, empathetic and caring person, sometimes to my own detriment. Caring for my mum was a huge part of my life, particularly towards the end of hers, and being able to be there for her and care for her until the end is something I’m incredibly proud of. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever experienced, but it was also a privilege to be able to give her that care and be by her side.

I’ve been part of JEDS for a long time now, and it has become a really important part of my life. I’m incredibly grateful for the love, support and understanding JEDS has shown me, not just with my eating disorder but through my grief and everything else that has come with it.

Through my content and hopefully as a JEDS Ambassador, I want to talk about things that aren’t always easy to talk about, including eating disorders, endometriosis, PCOS and grief. I particularly feel that grief, especially losing people when you’re younger, isn’t talked about enough.

I’m still on my own journey and certainly don’t have everything figured out, but I think that’s okay. I’m passionate about being open about the things I’ve experienced and helping to make those conversations feel a little less scary. I’d love to bring my creativity, empathy and experience together to give back to a community that has given me so much and hopefully help other people feel seen, understood and less
alone.

What made you want to become a JEDS Ambassador?

JEDS is incredibly important to me. It has supported me through some of the darkest periods of my life, when I felt very alone and struggled to understand what was happening, not just with my eating disorder but with my mental health and everything else going on around me.

I’m still on my own journey, but JEDS has made me feel much less alone in it. Having somewhere I can feel comfortable asking questions, being open about how I’m feeling, or simply relating to other people who understand has made such a difference. It makes the journey feel much easier to carry.

I also want to become a JEDS Ambassador because I believe the work they do deserves so much more recognition. They provide an incredible amount of support despite being underfunded, and they are always doing everything they can with the resources they have to help the people who need them. 

Being able to represent a charity that has personally helped me so much, while helping raise awareness of the work they do and the difference they make, would mean a lot to me.

Why do you think the work JEDS does is important?

I think the work JEDS does is so important because it helps people feel seen, understood and, most importantly, not alone in their struggles.

So many lives are lost to eating disorders, and I believe we need to keep breaking the stigma and increasing understanding around them. Eating disorders can come in so many different forms, many of which I didn’t even know existed before becoming part of JEDS. Being involved with JEDS has taught me so much and I’ve found it incredibly valuable to gain a better understanding of eating disorders and the different ways they can affect people.

Although the stigma around eating disorders is slowly being broken, I believe we need to be doing it at a much quicker rate. JEDS is actively pursuing that cause while also providing a safe and supportive space for people throughout their own journeys.

The combination of raising awareness, challenging misconceptions and supporting people when they need it most is what makes the work JEDS does so important to me.

What is one thing you wish more people understood about eating disorders?

I wish more people understood just how many different forms eating disorders can take. No two people are the same, and although people may experience very different things, there are often individual parts of each other’s experiences that we can relate to.

I also wish people understood how much shame and guilt can come with an eating disorder. Those feelings can make you want to hide what you’re going through and isolate yourself, and that is often exactly how the disorder thrives.

Eating disorders affect far more people than you might realise, and you cannot always tell that someone is struggling just by looking at them. Someone doesn’t have to look a certain way, be at their “worst”, or feel that they are “sick enough” to deserve help and support.

I think having more understanding and compassion, rather than judgement or assumptions, could make it much easier
for people to feel safe enough to reach out.

Why do you think raising awareness of eating disorders if important?

I think raising awareness of eating disorders is so important because there are still so many people who don’t know enough about them, or even realise that support is available.

More awareness means more people may recognise that they are struggling and understand that they deserve help, even if they don’t fit the stereotypical image of an eating disorder. It also means friends and family can become more aware of what someone might be going through and know how to support them.

I didn’t initially know that JEDS existed myself until a friend told me about it, and I often think about how different things could have been if I hadn’t known about the service. There are so many people who could benefit from JEDS but simply don’t know that it is there.

Eating disorders thrive in isolation, so being able to talk openly about them can help break that isolation. It challenges stigma and misconceptions, but it also helps the person struggling realise that they are not alone and don’t have to keep everything hidden.

I also believe greater awareness can bring more recognition and funding to organisations like JEDS, allowing them to reach and support even more people. The more we talk about eating disorders with understanding and compassion, the more people can feel safe to ask for help.

What are you hoping to achieve through being a JEDS Ambassador?

Through being a JEDS Ambassador, I hope to help make JEDS feel more approachable for people who might be scared to reach out. I know how overwhelming that first step can feel, so if sharing a little of my own journey helps someone feel less alone or more comfortable asking for support, that would mean a lot to me.

Having been part of JEDS for a long time, I’ve experienced first-hand the difference that feeling understood and supported can make, and I’d love to help more people find that same sense of community. 

I’d also love to help create more open conversations around eating disorders, grief and mental health, while helping JEDS gain more recognition and funding so they can continue reaching even more people who need them.

Most importantly, I want to help people feel seen, understood and welcomed into the same supportive community that has meant so much to me.

What do you do, or plan to do, to support the charity as JEDS Ambassador?

As a JEDS Ambassador, I would love to use social media to help raise awareness of the charity and reach people who may not know that JEDS exists. I’m particularly interested in creating social media content that helps make conversations around eating disorders and mental health feel more open and approachable.

I would share JEDS events, resources and information that could help people learn more about eating disorders and understand where they can find support. I’d also like to talk honestly about my own experience of JEDS, including what the meetings and the community have meant to me, and hopefully help people see that reaching out doesn’t have to be as scary as it can feel. I would always respect the privacy and confidentiality of others. 

I would also be keen to support fundraising and help promote opportunities for people to get involved, whether that is through events, campaigns or other activities.

Ultimately, I want to use my voice and social media to give back to a charity that has given so much to me. I want to help JEDS reach more people, raise awareness and funding, and show people that there is a supportive community available to them. If I can help someone discover JEDS who might otherwise never have known it existed, and give them even a little of the hope and sense of belonging that JEDS has given me, that would be incredibly meaningful to me.

What would you say to someone affected by an eating disorder who might be struggling to reach out for support?

Please never feel alone in your struggle. We all have our own individual challenges, but we can relate to one another in some shape or form. Being open and vulnerable can feel scary, but reaching out for support is one of the bravest things you can do, whether you’re struggling with an eating disorder or other mental health challenges.

You’ll be welcomed with open arms into a community of the most supportive, warm and empathetic people I’m so proud and honoured to be a part of. JEDS feels like one big family, and once you’re part of that, you’ll be surrounded by people who genuinely care and will help guide you on your journey.

So please do reach out. Even if your mind is telling you not to, you deserve kindness, compassion and support, and you don’t have to face it alone.

A few fun facts

What are three words that describe you? Empathetic, creative and driven
What is your favourite place in Jersey? La port watching the ocean (Out west M’luv)
What is your favourite food? Sushi or a Roast (specifically Christmas roast wth all the trimmings)
Coffee or tea? Either but needs to be decaf. More of a matcha girl
Early bird or night owl? Both but more of an exhausted pigeon.
What is something that always makes you smile? Seeing hearts as that’s my sign mumma is around (if you know you know)
What is one thing on your bucket list? Don’t really have one but going to Canada. Especially after saying I wanted to take my mumma but never got the chance.