MEET OUR AWESOME CHARITY PARTNER
5 days ago
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5 days ago
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Sally Bunkham, Director of Communications & Partnerships at PANDAS, on the obstacles facing mental health support services today, how donations from the sales of SevenSeventeen products help train their team of volunteers, and why Paloma Faith would be a dream ambassador...
Who can benefit from the PANDAS support service and what help can they expect?
PANDAS services are free and available in the UK for all parents, carers and their networks. We support people at many different stages in their journey from conception through to birth and beyond. You don't need to have a diagnosis to use our services or even to think that you need one. We support people with a range of issues, such as postnatal and prenatal depression, anxiety, intrusive thoughts, OCD, isolation, loneliness, or perhaps just a feeling that something isn't right.
What advice would you give to someone anxious about getting in touch?
There is a misconception that things need to reach rock bottom before asking for help. That's just not true. We believe early intervention is key and we have a range of different services to suit people's communication preferences, including a WhatsApp and email support service, a bookable call service and online and offline peer to peer support groups. Our volunteer pool is large and diverse and many have lived experiences - although we may not always have the answers we are experts on actively listening and have natural empathy.
How do donations from the sales of SevenSeventeen products (10% profits are shared between the charities, PANDAS, Sane & Calm) impact your work?
We are so grateful for the support offered by SevenSeventeen and their customers (and for raising the highest amount of money any retailer has ever donated to date!) It makes the world of difference to the number of people we can help and means that we can provide the best training possible for our wonderful volunteers who work on our support services so that they are armed with the most up to date advice and information.
Our running costs have remained historically humble as we have only ever invested in providing the best possible services with 100% remote working, however as our audience and reach expands our costs do, too. Plus, the rise in cost of living has meant an understandable decline in fundraising in local communities. To run the helpline alone costs in the region of £20,000 per year and we only expect this to increase.
What are you focusing on in 2025?
Our biggest challenge is letting people know we are here, particularly as NHS waiting lists are sadly growing. We are concentrating on breaking down the stigmas that still exist, for example, dads can also suffer with perinatal mental health issues and our services very much cater for them, too. We are continuing our work with some amazing partners to reach more diverse groups in a culturally sensitive and safe way and have teamed up with The Maternal Mental Health Alliance to offer advice to the corporate and business world so that they can best support their employees who are parents. It's going to be a busy but brilliant year!
We've loved creating special-edition candles with you in collaboration with the likes of Stacey Solomon and Giovanna Fletcher, with 100% of the profits going to PANDAS. Who would be your dream ambassador and why?
It's been a dream watching these candle collaborations come to life and the fragrances are always so divine. Our first PANDAS ambassadors; Dr Punam Krishan and Dr Caroline Boyd have been incredible at raising awareness and so knowledgeable in their clinical fields. In terms of a future ambassador or collaborator, perhaps Paloma Faith. We love how vocal she is about the reality of motherhood.....and she'd be a hoot to work with!
If you or someone you know is struggling, here is the link to get in touch with PANDAS
