LOTTERY GRANT OF £205,000 TO RESEARCH HEALING
A lottery grant has been awarded to research the benefits of Healing provided by members of NFSH/The Healing Trust by the University of Birmingham over the next two years.
The grant was awarded to Freshwinds, a Birmingham medical charity, which will work in collaboration with the University. Patients of a Birmingham hospital who have been diagnosed with particular bowel problems and who are still suffering after completing their conventional treatment, will be offered a series of five healing sessions.
The grant application was supported by a hospital audit of 75 gastroenterology patients who had each received one 20-minute healing session.
Sandy Edwards, the volunteer healer who produced the audit, says, “Anyone with IBS, psoriasis or eczema knows that their symptoms get worse when they are stressed or worried. This tells me that a physical chemical reaction is taking place in the body as a result of their negative emotional state. Healing deeply calms people but there is more going on than simply relaxation or placebo. For instance, research shows that healing works under laboratory conditions on human tissue in Petri dishes, and also on animals and plants.”
Veronica Bowden, General Manager of The Healing Trust, says, “We are thrilled that our healing is being researched by such a prestigious university. Although we have countless testimonials that healing works, additional research will help healing to become more widely available within the NHS. We offer national, professional standards that patients should expect of practitioners working within the NHS. Our voluntary healing centres throughout the country are available to everyone and people can check out our website or call us for details.”
ENDS
For further information, please contact Veronica Bowden at The Healing Trust on
01604 603 247 or email generalmanager@thehealingtrust.org.uk
or
Sandy Edwards (healer involved in the project) 01922 627346 or 07940 821917 or email sandedwards@googlemail.com
Notes to Editors:
- It is extremely rare that funding is made available to research any form of complementary therapy
- 20% of the UK population reported having used some complementary therapy in the previous year yet medical research councils and charities together with drug companies (the main funders of medical research) are unwilling to support this type of research with less than 0.01% of total research budget being spent in this area
- The Healing Trust is the working name of The NFSH Charitable Trust Ltd, Registered Charity 1094702
- Established in 1954, The Healing Trust is the largest healer membership organisation in the UK with over 4300 members; provides opportunities for members of the public to access spiritual healing via its UK Referral Service as well as at over 50 voluntary Healing Centres, at Exhibitions and through NHS support services.
- Healing Trust healers are subject to national standards of training delivered by accredited tutors. After a two-year comprehensive programme of training, practice and development, students are eligible to be considered for Healer Membership. Applicants are subject to national standards of final assessment. For the protection of the public, all of our healers have comprehensive insurance and are bound by a strict Code of Conduct.
- Healing is not associated with any particular religion, and faith by the patient is not required.
Healing can help people regardless of their beliefs.
- As a result of healing, many people report feeling energised yet relaxed and experience improvements physically (eg pain relief), mentally (eg thinking more positively) and emotionally (eg feeling more at peace).
- Although most of our members volunteer their healing work, some are employed within the
NHS. The Healing Trust would like to encourage more paid employment within the NHS so
that healing becomes a natural part of mainstream healthcare. To do this, we need to
continue to add to the current body of evidence that demonstrates the efficacy of healing.
- The hospital audit referred to in the article is on our website (www.thehealingtrust.org.uk) and shows that patients were still benefiting from the experience one week later, some dramatically so. However, most patients need more than one session and we recommend at least five weekly sessions to establish without doubt that healing is making a positive difference. This research project is designed to do this and to measure the outcomes.
- The Healing Trust offers a one-day course to all people who care for others, whether they are medical professionals or caring for a member of the family. Caring for others can be draining and this course teaches how to retain the integrity of one’s own energy.
- For medical professionals who would like to become trained healers, The Healing Trust offers a comprehensive training programme that takes their existing knowledge and experience into account.
- Freshwinds (the medical charity that is administering the grant) is based in Birmingham and work to support adults and children living with life threatening and life limiting conditions, as well as those who are experiencing social exclusion. Amongst its many projects, is the integrated medicine project which offers complementary therapies with medical support to palliative care clients at its Selly Oak offices, as well as in the community. Freshwinds also founded the Children’s Complementary Therapy Network (CCTN) with more than 360 members worldwide. The CCTN recently launched the Tell your Doctor’ poster campaign in the UK (http://cctn.freshwinds.org.uk).
21 York Road, Northampton, NN1 5QG, UK
T: 01604 603247 F: 01604 603534 www.thehealingtrust.org.uk
Patrons: The Duchess of Rutland and Dr Rosy Daniel
The Healing Trust is the working name of The NFSH Charitable Trust Limited – Registered Charity No 1094702
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